SERVICE DELIVERY
Nivashni Nair|Published
EACH afternoon for more than four years, a municipal worker shuts off the water supply to Wards 48, 49, 50, 51 and 52 in Phoenix. The supply is switched back on the following morning, usually before 5am.
When the water is only restored after 6am, residents claim they are told the municipal worker had car trouble or overslept.
The daily water cuts have left thousands of residents struggling to get through their routines with dry taps. However, they still battle to get a clear answer from the eThekwini Municipality about why their water is switched off every day and when the ordeal will end.
Residents told the POST the water is sometimes switched off as early as 11am, often before they return home from work or school. With no published schedule, households are left guessing when their taps will run dry. But one thing is certain: the water will be shut off daily, including on weekends and public holidays.
Residents and the Democratic Alliance alleged that the water supply is being redirected to Cornubia and other areas.
DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen alleged that water from Phoenix was being redirected to Cornubia and other areas, leaving reservoirs in the north struggling to replenish.
“Municipal officials deliberately turn off the water supply to redirect the water to fill other areas,” Hoosen said.
IFP Ward 50 candidate Nalini Naidoo said she was aware of residents' allegations that water was being diverted to Cornubia, but did not have verified evidence to prove that this was the cause of the water shedding.
“I would not want to present an allegation as an established fact. The municipality must address these concerns openly. It should provide information about reservoir levels, pumping volumes, supply allocations and the distribution of water between Phoenix and Cornubia. Residents deserve evidence-based answers rather than speculation,” she said.
Naidoo said the municipality had previously cited low reservoir levels and pressure on the water distribution network as reasons for the restrictions.
“However, residents need a clear, current explanation of why certain neighbourhoods continue to experience recurring interruptions.”
Chrisintha Moodley, who lives in the Sunford Forest Haven area, said the water cuts had been ongoing for as long as 10 years.
“We have spent copious amounts of money on buying drinking water, extra buckets and drums just to store water. Everyday tasks like bathing, cooking, even washing laundry has become a nightmare. We're constantly having to fill buckets, containers, five litre jars just to flush toilets, and heat water on the stove for bathing. And I believe that the municipality is turning a deaf ear to our plight because this has been ongoing now.”
She said residents had heard numerous explanations over the years, but the water cuts continued.
“First, it was the construction of new water pipes. That is now complete. But still, we are experiencing ongoing water shedding. I don't believe the municipality is being honest with us because there's no communication.”
Moodley said other wards in Phoenix did not appear to experience the same daily interruptions.
“Water comes on at about 5am and goes off as early as midday or 1pm on a daily basis. We have appealed to our ward councillors for assistance, but nothing has been forthcoming,” she said.
Timothy Govindasamy, a pensioner who has lived in Grove End for six years, said residents had been left to fend for themselves as the water problems continued.
“From the time I moved in, we have been having problems continuously. As a pensioner, we cannot rely on water tankers coming to our roads because in six years, only once has a tanker come into our road,” he said.
“We struggle to cook, bath and do our daily chores. We only manage thanks to our children overseas who sponsor us.”
Govindasamy said residents had been given December 2024 as the deadline for completing reservoir repairs, but the problems persisted.
“When we called a meeting at Grove End church, the leaders did not turn up. It seems the municipality has dumped us here and does not heed our suffering.”
“The municipality has no sympathy. We are paying through our noses for water, but some areas get it for free. Where is the justice? Every attempt to get them to hear us is falling on deaf ears,” he said.
Professor Faizel Bux, director of the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT), could not comment on the cause of the water cuts because he had not studied the technical aspects of what was happening in Phoenix.
However, he said access to water was a basic human right.
“It is unacceptable that people are forced to live like this. It should never be happening,” he said.
eThekwini Municipality had not responded to questions by the time of publication.