The uMngeni-uThukela Water Board (UUW) has implemented a water curtailment throughout the eThekwini Municipality, effective from today, 10 October, to preserve future water supplies amid growing concerns over water consumption and availability. The initiative follows a directive from the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), which requires UUW to reduce water abstraction from the uMgeni system to the licenced volume of 470 million cubic meters per annum, representing an 8.4 percent reduction.
In a joint statement, eThekwini Mayor Cyril Xaba and the uMngeni-uThukela Water Board emphasized the importance of the curtailment. Mayor Xaba explained, “The curtailment is aimed to enable continued water availability, including during periods of below-average rainfall. The risk of not enforcing the abstraction limit is that, should a drought occur, there would not be sufficient water in the system for uMngeni-uThukela Water to continue providing the eThekwini Municipality with a reliable water supply.”
He also clarified that this curtailment is not a form of water shedding, where scheduled water cuts occur. Instead, the curtailment is designed to reduce total water usage in a controlled and measured way.
The water-saving measures are set to be in place for 12 months, during which residents are urged to cut back on their water usage. “We urge residents to use water sparingly to assist in reducing the high consumption. The demand for water in eThekwini far outstrips supply, and we continue to plead with all stakeholders, both our residential and business customers, to work with us to address this challenge,” added Mayor Xaba.
Among the contributing factors to the high-water usage in the area are rapid urbanization, aging infrastructure that leads to leaks, and illegal water connections. To counteract this, the city will roll out several interventions, including installing water restrictors in meters, reducing water pressure, metering all unmetered consumers, deploying plumbers to address leaks, and disconnecting illegal connections.
With eThekwini’s daily water consumption ranging between 270 and 298 litres per capita, compared to the international average of 173 litres per capita per day, the city will closely monitor water usage and manage excessive demand during this curtailment phase.
Residents are encouraged to collaborate with the city’s efforts to safeguard the region’s water supply for future needs.