Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, will undertake a routine inspection in respect of work underway in KwaMsane township, under the Mtubatuba Local Municipality in Kwa-Zulu Natal which forms part of the Mtubatuba Water Supply Schemes.

KwaMsane receives its water from the Mtubatuba Water Treatment Works, which abstracts water from the uMfolozi River; potable water is then pumped northwards through a 600mm diameter steel rising main to the Mtuba Heights reservoirs (Bhoboza Command).

From these reservoirs, water gravitates south westerly to the KwaMsane reservoir to supply the KwaMsane township. Minister Mchunu held a Water Imbizo with the KwaMsane community in May this year, where he shared plans of the refurbishment of the Mtubatuba Water Treatment Works which currently treats water at 13Ml/day and will be upgraded to 20Ml/day in order to meet the demands.

The project, which is valued at R 9.7 million is currently at 20% overall progress and is anticipated to be completed in November of this year. The refurbishment and upgrading of Mtubatuba Water Supply Schemes is part of the interventions by the Department of Water and Sanitation in the uMkhanyakude District to address the water challenges that are experienced by the district municipality.

In February 2022, Minister Mchunu invoked Section 63 of the Water Services Act, 108 of 1997 in the District and appointed the then Mhlathuze Water- which has since been merged with Umngeni Water and became Umgeni-uThukela Water- as an Implementing Agent to take over the management, operations and maintenance of the water and sanitation infrastructure in order to restore the services within the district.