A member of one of the employees from the eThekwini Municipality’s technical teams is seen installing a new air valve on a section of the Northern Aqueduct. Picture: eThekwini Municipality
Durban — The eThekwini Municipality has brought hope for Verulam and surrounding areas as it commissions vital projects to improve water supply.
Municipal spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said the City’s Water and Sanitation Unit has commenced with the commissioning of two vital projects to improve water supply to some parts of the northern areas.
Sisilana said the project includes the new Northern Aqueduct Augmentation pipeline and water rising main (pipeline) from Hazelmere to Grange Reservoir.
“The commissioning of the 600mm diameter water rising main (pipeline) which is 4.3 kilometres long has been completed and there is already noticeably improved water supply to areas such as Grange, Everest Heights, Redcliff and the Osindisweni Hospital area,” Sisilana said.
She said the commissioning of the new Northern Aqueduct Augmentation is in progress and is being worked on through phases with the current section that is set to improve water supply to areas such as Verulam and Phoenix.
She also said that once done, the teams will continue to commission other sections of the pipeline to include areas such as Cornubia and uMhlanga, to name a few.
“These projects are a testament to the City’s commitment to reduce water outages and intermittent supply to areas in the north,” Sisilana said.
She explained the new Northern Aqueduct Augmentation pipeline interconnects to the existing aqueduct which is a network of bulk supply pipelines that conveys water from the Durban Heights Treatment Works and supplies water to reservoirs in the north.
The old pipeline has been operating at maximum capacity and with the increased developments, including residential and commercial, there was a need for the implementation of the Aqueduct Augmentation, Sisilana continued.
“The City will continue to explore and implement a range of interventions to improve water supply across the City while awaiting the completion of the Umkhomazi Water Project which is aimed at augmenting water security to the City,” Sisilana said.
“Other initiatives include reducing non-revenue water, advocating responsible water usage, implementing a pipeline replacement program, upgrading infrastructure, and employing active leak detection and pressure management strategies.”
Meanwhile, in his last media briefing as eThekwini Municipality mayor following the announcement by the ANC of his redeployment to the National Council of Provinces, Mxolisi Kaunda said significant strides are being made to improve water supply to meet the increasing demand in eThekwini.
“Currently, the City is implementing the R1.2 billion Southern Aqueduct project to improve water supply in the southern areas such as uMlazi, Chatsworth, Folweni, KwaMakhutha and Adams,” Kaunda said.
“A R56 million project is currently under way in Ntuzuma to upgrade a pump station which will significantly improve the water supply in Inanda, Lindelani, Mancinza, Ntuzuma and some parts of KwaMashu. Our technical teams are hard at work to commission the second Northern Aqueduct pipeline which will alleviate water challenges in the northern areas such as Phoenix, Verulam, uThongathi and Durban North.
“Working with the Department of Water Affairs and uMgeni-uThukela Water, we are constructing the Upper Umkhomazi Dam for R28 billion which will provide a long-term solution to water challenges in the city,” Kaunda added.
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