eThekwini records 65% water loss as contractor dispute leaves thousands of leaks unattended

eThekwini Municipality recorded 65% Non-Revenue Water (NRW) losses for June 2026 and is contending with 12,000 reported leaks as a dispute with contracted plumbers disrupts repair work across the city.

Plumber dispute and blocked depots

Democratic Alliance councillor and Trading Services Committee Whip Alan Peterson reported that contracted plumbers blocked access to the EWS Pinetown Depot on Tuesday over unpaid invoices and new procurement processes. The municipality condemned the unlawful blocking of water depots, saying these actions hindered municipal employees and disrupted essential water services.

Meetings and procurement changes

The municipality’s Water and Sanitation (EWS) Directorate was expected to meet former contracted plumbers on 22 July in the hope of resolving several issues. City manager Musa Mbhele said the decision to revise the appointment process for contract plumbers followed Auditor-General findings that the previous contracting arrangement was irregular.

In response, the City introduced a new procurement model called the Contractor Infrastructure Panel (CIP) to manage plumbing services. Mbhele said some contractors challenged the process in court and that interim measures were implemented under the approved CIP management contract to safeguard continuity of service delivery.

Where the dispute centres

Mbhele said certain former contractors want direct individual contracts with the City rather than working as subcontractors under appointed managing contractors. He added that implementation of the new system is progressing and that onboarding has been completed in the northern region with rollout continuing across other regions.

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

Direct quote from the DA councillor

“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,”

Staffing and capacity

EXCO had approved the recruitment of 121 additional plumbers to strengthen internal capacity. To date, 44 appointments have been finalised, bringing the City’s internal complement to approximately 56 plumbers. Recruitment of plumbing assistants is also underway.

DA ward 65 councillor Samantha Windvogel said the annual average NRW is 55% and argued that the current number of internal plumbers is insufficient to tackle the scale of the problem.

“Ratepayers are frustrated by the daily sight of clean drinking water flowing down streets and into stormwater drains while many communities continue to experience water shortages,”

Visible impacts

The report includes images and captions showing local effects, including a resident placing a hollow block on a water meter to stop water spraying onto their home and a month-long water leak from a broken meter in Bonela.

City response and next steps

Municipal leaders say the City remains committed to building internal capacity while contractors play a supporting role under the new CIP system. Ednick Msweli said the City intends to reduce reliance on external contractors as internal teams are strengthened.

Contact details and bylines from the original report were provided by the source.