Striving to sustainably serve all

The Water and Sanitation Unit’s key goal entails the provision of water and sanitation services that are: equitable, with adequate services provided fairly to all people; affordable, ensuring no one is excluded from access to basic services because of cost; efficient and effective, by doing the job properly; sustainable – financially, environmentally, institutionally and socially; as well as professional.

Below are some of the highlights of the performance of eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) during the previous financial year, as well as a snapshot of what projects have been completed and are currently underway within the Municipal Area.

2021/22 performance

EWS manages a water network that exceeds 14 469 km and a sewer network of more than 8 600 km. This includes 30 wastewater treatment works with two sea outfall pipelines and 255 wastewater pump stations. The eThekwini Municipal Area is largely served by 361 water storage facilities and 33 water pump stations.

Informal settlements are served by 1 633 toilet blocks, which is a higher level of service than a water standpipe that is required by the World Health Organization. The toilet blocks (or community ablution blocks) include handwashing, clothes washing, toilet, urinal and shower facilities, and are deemed to serve 50 households. There are 976 902 households served with water, of which 596 974 are indigent. Households served with sanitation number 874 072, of which 461 141 are indigent. An additional 8 213 households were served with water during 2021/22, while 11 287 households were added within the sanitation services space. Over the same period, the unit responded to in excess of 29 879 sewer faults and 122 279 water faults.

Water quality

As standard, full chemical analysis is done on selected points of eThekwini’s supply systems at least twice a year. In June 2022, samples were taken from the eThekwini Main,

Tongaat and Ogunjini systems to perform chemical and microbiological testing and determine compliance with the SANS 241 water quality standard requirements. For all systems, compliance targets of >99% for microbiological and 97% for chemical quality standards were targeted. Both the June 2022 samples and the rolling averages indicated that all targets were exceeded for the year, highlighting the good work being done by EWS in ensuring drinking water quality standards are consistently met.

Storage

The Umgeni System – comprising Springfield Dam, Midmar Dam, Albert Fall Dam, Nagle Dam and Inanda Dam – supplies the bulk of the water reticulated to eThekwini Municipality. Recent good rainfall seasons have seen these dams maintain high levels, with overall storage for the month of June 2022 measured at around 931 million cubic metres. This equates to about 577 days of storage based on normal (unrestricted) use.

Pipe bursts

Pipe bursts are prioritised over water leaks. A total of 11 384 leaks were responded to during FY 2021/22, with 8 742 responses within 24 hours – representing a 77% response rate in under 24 hours. This means there is clear room for improvement; further, a shortage of materials has been the biggest contributor to the below-target performance. This is being addressed in conjunction with the Supply Chain Management Unit.

Sewer complaints

For the 2021/22 reporting period, on average, 42% of sewer faults were resolved within 24 hours. This underperformance is largely due to insufficient capacity. For many years, the unit relied on contractors that were being engaged on a quotation basis but it was subsequently decided that this method of procurement could be deemed irregular expenditure. A new approach must be found to address challenges surrounding this slow turnaround.

Effluent compliance

As in much of South Africa, final effluent compliance from wastewater treatment works within eThekwini is in need of drastic improvement. The challenges have been exacerbated by adverse weather events. Overall branch compliance for 2021/22 was noted at 73.3%.

MABR and Water Reuse Pilot Project at KwaMashu WWTW

Council approved a pilot project at KwaMashu WWTW where MEB Energy is currently demonstrating advanced membrane aerated bioreactor (MABR) wastewater and water reuse technologies. This is taking place at a small-scale with no capital and operational cost to Council. Phase 1 was successfully completed in December 2021, with MABR wastewater treatment technology achieving operational results that were recorded and verified by an independent and accredited testing laboratory for a six-month operational period (June 2021 to December 2021). Through this phase, the effluent produced is suitable for irrigation purposes, while the second phase will add tertiary treatment processes to produce drinking water of a SANS 241 standard.

RemixWater Demonstration Plant

EWS, Hitachi and NEDO (New Energy