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eThekwini Municipality plans to fix sewer leaks before the festive season

Zainul Dawood|Published

Damaged wastewater pipelines being repaired in eThekwini Municipality. The municipality has extended the wastewater maintenance contract with uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) to repair critical infrastructure for an additional 12 months, ending in November 2026.

Image: uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW)

The eThekwini Municipality is pushing to resolve any sewer leaks affecting water quality before the December festive season. 

The municipality has extended its wastewater maintenance contract with uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) for an additional 12 months, which will end in November 2026.

Mdu Nkosi, IFP councillor and the chairperson of the eThekwini Municipality Trading Services committee, welcomed a status report presented by UUW at an Executive Committee (EXCO) meeting on Tuesday. 

eThekwini metro entered into a bulk wastewater operation and maintenance (O&M) contract with UUW. The Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) included in the contract account for 90% of the sewage managed by the municipality.

As part of the agreement, the Water Board is responsible for the O&M of 10 of the municipal treatment works and improving effluent quality to ensure compliance with legislative requirements, including the National Water Act, 36 of 1998.

On Tuesday, UUW presented a brief update on the work undertaken and the rationale for the partnership, which was:

  • Improve the level of service. 
  • Improve compliance with discharge licences. 
  • Facilitate backlog eradication. 
  • Prevention of pollution to river systems and the ocean. 
  • Improved water quality. 
  • Sustainable long-term infrastructure solutions. 
  • Operational Resiliency. 

In the UUW progress update to Exco, they outlined that the Umhlathuzana, Central, and Southern WWTWs maintained the compliance status of meeting the 90% compliance requirement.

They also reported that there was a significant increase for KwaMashu and Northern WWTW as a result of process optimisation controls and refurbishments that were conducted on those sites.

However, the Phoenix and Amanzimtoti WWTW have had significant process challenges that are being addressed through the project and contract implementation.

Some of the major projects in progress include the sea outfall inspections and the southern and central outfall repairs. The UUW has a number of projects needed to stabilise wastewater management in the area for the long term.

The proposed projects will then bring the infrastructure to operational conditions in compliance with the final effluent discharge standards and Green Drop standards. The expected timelines to fully implement these projects are three to five years.

Annually, in December, Durban’s 23 beaches are the focal point for tourism as the festive season kicks in. In 2024, it was reported that high levels of E.coli were found at 10 beaches in routine tests, which made it unsafe for bathers, leading to temporary closures. 

Nkosi said the report gave an idea of what projects are under way and still need funding.

He said he was also impressed by what has been done by the eThekwini Water and Sanitation unit as well, adding that they did not want to begin preparations for the festive season in November, but rather immediately to resolve wastewater challenges the municipality faces.

“Our plan is to have an urgent meeting with all ward councillors to find out where their main challenges are concerning water and sanitation. We will then compile a full report to prioritise those issues.

“If water and sanitation can deal with these challenges, most areas would be happy. We intend to resolve all sewer-related issues that were giving us challenges. We want to ensure that all beaches are open for swimming this festive season,” he said. 

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za