Water outages continue in parts of Durban, residents outraged
Residents in Durban's southern parts say they feel like they've been abandoned by eThekwini Municipality, after being left without running water for several days.
The municipality says it encountered technical challenges, with regards to operations at its Northdene 3 pump station. It says three available pumps failed, over three days ago.
And the water wasn't being pumped to all downstream reservoirs.
Shallcross, Chatsworth, Klaarwater and Birch Road are among the areas affected. Moorton resident, Sham Dhanpaul says they were told that tankers would be sent to their homes but they only received water yesterday.
"Everybody is frustrated and on edge, because with this pandemic around us, we have strict hygiene control. With no water how do you maintain your hygiene."
READ: Water outages to continue for at least three weeks in some parts of Durban
"What happens to people who are in isolation and suffering from COVID? How will they maintain their hygiene and there is nobody delivering water to them, they have to rely on family and friends to get 5 litres which is insufficient for a family," he adds.
The municipality says repair work at the pump station will take three to four weeks. DA eThekwini caucus leader, Nicole Graham says the problem could've been avoided.
"The City has managed to borrow one from Umgeni Water but it's not the same frame or make. That comes to our understanding was not working in place of pump in Northdene."
"They are been taken to be modified to see if they can make it work. This is just bad planning, there was apparently a contract which should have been signed off - an urgent contract in October which would have fixed the two pumps. But this wasn't signed off," says Graham.
