Durban’s water crisis: 65% loss, 12 000 leaks and a contractor standoff

According to IOL (Daily News), eThekwini’s water system lost an estimated 65% in Non-Revenue Water (NRW) in July, and the municipality is under pressure to fix a reported 12 000 leaks as a dispute with former contracted plumbers hampers repairs.

What officials and councillors say

DA ward 65 councillor Samantha Windvogel told IOL (Daily News) that the city’s annual average NRW is 55% and that July’s figure was significantly above the national benchmark. She said the shortage of plumbers remains unresolved because no formal resolution has yet been adopted to implement the Contractor-Initiated Procurement (CIP) process.

“Despite recommendations that the Contractor-Initiated Procurement (CIP) process be implemented to address the shortage of plumbers, no formal resolution has yet been adopted. This has left the department without the capacity needed to respond effectively to the growing crisis. Residents continue to ask councillors whether they may repair leaks themselves. Yet, no formal communication has been issued by the municipality advising residents on the status of outstanding leaks or providing guidance on this matter,” Windvogel said.

Windvogel also told IOL (Daily News) that 56 internal plumbers, without contracted plumbing support, were not enough to address the scale of the problem and that residents were frustrated to see clean drinking water flowing into drains while some communities experienced shortages.

Contractor dispute and depot blockade

According to IOL (Daily News), former contracted plumbers blocked access to the EWS Pinetown Depot on Tuesday in protest over unpaid invoices and changes to procurement processes. The municipality condemned the action at an Executive Committee meeting, saying the blockade obstructed staff and disrupted service delivery.

Municipality’s explanation and the new procurement model

City manager Musa Mbhele told IOL (Daily News) the decision to revise the appointment process for contract plumbers followed findings by the Auditor-General that the previous contracting arrangement was irregular. The municipality introduced a new procurement model through the Contractor Infrastructure Panel (CIP) to manage plumbing services, Mbhele said.

Mbhele explained that some contractors challenged this process in court, and interim measures were implemented under the approved CIP management contract to safeguard continuity of service delivery.

Mbhele said certain former contractors wanted direct individual contracts rather than operating as subcontractors under appointed managing contractors. He told IOL (Daily News) that interim measures had been put in place and that in the northern region, onboarding has been completed and work is underway, with rollout continuing across other regions.

How payments and management will work

Executive Director of Technical Services Ednick Msweli told IOL (Daily News) the dispute mainly concerns the transition to the new contracting model. He said payment rates remain unchanged and that subcontractors will work under managing contractors who receive a 15% management fee approved by the City’s Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC).

Voices from the ground

IOL (Daily News) reported examples of the strain on residents, including one Durban resident who placed a hollow block brick on a water meter to stop water spraying onto their home. The municipality faces the practical task of repairing thousands of leaks while navigating procurement changes and contractor disputes.