A person washes her hands with the tap running. Picture: File The eThekwini Municipality says residents should use water sparingly during the planned water treatment works shutdown to prevent reservoirs from draining rapidly. Picture: File
Durban - Umgeni Water said a planned 12-hour shutdown of the Wiggins water treatment works for essential maintenance and repairs would be conducted on Tuesday, which would affect dozens of areas in eThekwini Municipality.
Shami Harichunder, corporate stakeholder manager of Umgeni Water, said on Sunday that essential maintenance and repair work would be conducted by Umgeni Water on Tuesday, November 15 at the Wiggins water treatment works in Bonella, Durban.
He said 12 hours have been allocated for this work, which would begin at 8am.
According to Harichunder, in order for this project to be undertaken, the plant will have to be shut down for the project’s duration.
“This bulk potable water production and supply system will be recharged immediately after completion of work, expected at 8pm on 15 November. It generally takes this plant three hours to reach full potable water production. However, it is important to note that full recovery of a municipal reticulation system (in this instance, eThekwini Metro) generally takes longer,” he said.
He said the work to be undertaken involved fixing two leaks on a pipe, replacing draw-off valves, repairs to the pre-chlorine dosing sparge pipe, and cleaning the raw-water inlet canal.
The Wiggins water treatment works supplies eThekwini Metro’s reservoirs in central and south Durban, he said.
Umgeni Water said these reservoirs, in turn, supplied the following areas, which may experience low tap pressure during the shutdown and as eThekwini Metro’s systems recovered after completion of the work:
“In advance of the 12-hour shutdown and as mitigation to try to prevent the possibility of water shortages occurring during the shutdown, eThekwini Metro has begun topping up these reservoirs to reach 100%. The inlets will be closed for the duration of the shutdown, and the time it takes the Wiggins water treatment works to reach full potable water production again,” said Harichunder.
Harichunder warned residents that it was important that during the shutdown and while the systems of Umgeni Water and eThekwini Metro recovered after the repair and maintenance work had been completed, that consumers used water sparingly or tried to reduce consumption.
“Excessive use or large-scale storage of water could result in reservoirs draining rapidly, which will invariably cause water shortages and inadequate water being received by consumers,” he said.