eThekwini moves to ease Northdene water shortage
eThekwini Municipality says it has
been shutting off the water supply for the Clover factory in Northdene on the
weekends to allow reservoir levels to recover.
It is after residents in Northdene, Moseley, Queensburgh complained about outages, claiming Clover is tapping into the water line and draining the Firwood Reservoir.
The city said the reservoir supplies water to both industrial and residential areas and, therefore, has a right to use the resource.
It's also provided water tankers to manage the shortage, while the shutdown has been instituted to prioritise residential supply.
They say a major section replacement is underway in the Southern Aqueduct, which will improve water storage and supply to the connected reservoirs, including Firwood.
However, Jhaques Thyssen from the Water Crisis Committee said the issues have been going on for three years.
READ: uMnambithi residents threaten legal action over water
He said they sent memoranda to Clover and the city but have not received a response.
"We have asked and requested meetings to sit around the table. That has been postponed," said Thyssen.
"There was a meeting set up, but then we've got postponed and now we are waiting for the mayor.
"As we stand, the community has been, from May, without water for eight days and 96 days for this year so far. I've heard now there are a lot of people who have fallen sick. There has been contamination in the tanker."
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