By ONN Reporter
DURBAN – EThekwini Municipality has slashed its water leak backlog by 70 percent, reducing reported faults from 13 000 in July to 3 900 after repairing over 9 000 leaks.
Mayor Cllr Cyril Xaba announced the progress on Sunday, saying the turnaround follows the resolution of operational challenges that had affected municipal plumbing contractors.
The intervention is central to the City’s strategy to stabilise water supply and curb losses. Non-revenue water, water produced but lost to leaks, bursts, theft and illegal connections has dropped from 58 percent to 55 percent. The municipality aims to reduce it to below 50 percent before year-end.
Mayor Xaba, who has intensified hands-on inspections in the past month, said the results prove what teams can achieve with proper support.
“Reducing the number of leaks from 13 000 to 3 900 shows what our teams can achieve when work on the ground is properly supported. While we are making steady progress, we are not yet where we need to be,” he said.
He has visited KwaMashu, Phoenix, Wentworth, Merewent, Merebank, Austerville and Lamont, and will lead a high-level inspection in Umlazi on Wednesday.
The City says vandalism and illegal connections remain a major challenge, disrupting supply and driving losses, and has urged residents to report leaks via its app, WhatsApp on 073 1483 477, or toll-free on 080 311 1111.
