The eThekwini Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee recently approved R6.8 million for the upgrade of a Three-Mega Litre Reservoir in Ward 59.

The Municipality is currently developing a housing project in the Ogunjini area, Ward 59 and the existing reservoir does not have the storage capacity to supply the additional demand from the development.

Water pipeline to be constructed

The committee also approved the construction of a 400 millimetres diameter pipeline stretching over 4.1 kilometer between Adams Mission 5 and Adams Mission 6 reservoirs to cater for the increased water supply demand in the area.

The municipality says the spike in the water supply demand is as a result of the implementation of rural water and sanitation projects, the overall development of the area as well as an increased number of houses that are much bigger in size and therefore require full pressure connections from the water network.

The Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee also approved the construction of a water pipeline that will assist the existing pipeline in Ward 2 and Ward 8 to supply sufficient water to the community of Maphephetheni.

Protests stop construction work

The City also voiced its concern about the number of protests against on-going construction projects in different areas which hamper the Municipality’s service delivery programmes.
“These actions often result in work stoppages on-site where the Municipality runs into a loss of millions of rands of tax payers’ money because of delays to the projects,” says the municipality.

Head of Water and Sanitation, Ednick Msweli revealed before the Human Settlements and Infrastructure Committee that work stoppages are hindering progress especially in the Western Aqueduct project which was due to be complete by 2017.

“The disruption of work in various projects is mostly motivated by self-interest and people who demand employment to those projects”, said Msweli.

The Municipality is appealing to community members to allow construction work to proceed in their respective areas so that service delivery can fast-tracked.