The floods in the KwaZulu-Natal province severely damaged the water treatment plant in oThongathi and major repairs are expected to take a few months to complete at an estimated cost of R30-million, according to the eThekwini metropolitan municipality engineers.
As an interim solution, the municipality has intensified the provision of additional water tankers and more static tanks will be added. Boreholes and package plants were also provided by nongovernmental organisations.
Despite this, water supplies in many areas of the province having been affected by the April floods, Premier Sihle Zikalala on May 19 said water supply would be available in most of the flood-affected areas in KwaZulu-Natal.
He added that the eThekwini municipality was reconfiguring the existing water system and had built an emergency pipeline from the Nyaninga reservoir to the Tongaat South reservoir located at Chelmsford Buffelsdale, with necessary tie-ins.
“We have restored most of the services, especially electricity and water, and we are attending to the areas still experiencing challenges especially due to the fact that new infrastructure needs to be installed,” the Premier said.
He noted, however, that water restrictions would remain in place across the province for the time being.