Thekwini water crisis leaves Pinetown South residents without reliable supply

Residents in parts of Pinetown South and surrounding communities have been without a reliable water supply for about two weeks, as declining reservoir levels and bulk water restrictions deepen eThekwini’s ongoing water crisis.

The eThekwini Municipality confirmed on Sunday, 1 November, that the affected areas are experiencing interruptions linked to supply curtailments at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works.

The restrictions, implemented by bulk water supplier uMngeni-uThukela Water, have reduced water flowing through the Southern Aqueduct pipeline, affecting reservoir levels across the area.

Empty reservoirs leave communities without water

According to the municipality, reduced flows through the Southern Aqueduct have lowered water levels at the Northdene and Shallcross reservoirs.

The Pinetown South reservoir system relies on Shallcross for its supply. With levels at Shallcross falling, both the Washington Heights and Intake reservoirs are now empty.

The municipality said it could not yet confirm when normal water supply would be restored.

Pumping will resume once the Shallcross reservoir stabilises and sufficient water is flowing through the Southern Aqueduct.

In the meantime, water tankers have been arranged to provide temporary relief to affected communities, including Klaarwater, St Wendolins, Savannah Park, Regency Park, Luganda and parts of Nagina Township.

Months of water supply disruptions

The latest outage follows several disruptions affecting eThekwini’s water infrastructure throughout 2026.

In October, a technical failure involving shaft pumps supplying raw water to Durban Heights reduced bulk water supply by approximately 50 million litres a day. The incident affected areas supplied by the Northern Aqueduct and Mount Moriah Reservoir, including Pinetown, New Germany, Clermont and KwaDabeka.

Earlier in March, a damaged valve at Nagle Dam reduced raw water supply by 150 megalitres a day. This forced eThekwini and uMngeni-uThukela Water to introduce a city-wide rationing plan.

At the time, residents were warned that even after repairs were completed, restoring the reticulation system to normal could take up to two weeks.

Water restrictions were also introduced on 24 October to help rebuild reservoir storage. The municipality said high demand had depleted levels in Pinetown South, Nagina, Folweni, Demat and Washington Heights.

Pressure mounts over eThekwini’s water management

The city’s supply challenges have also raised concerns about water losses, infrastructure faults and demand management.

In September, Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina rejected eThekwini’s request to draw additional water from the uMngeni system.

The department cited non-revenue water levels of 55.6% and a sharp increase in unresolved water faults. Reported faults rose from 744 in November 2025 to 14,776 by May 2026.

The department also said it had granted the municipality six concessions since July 2023, while eThekwini had failed to meet its commitment to reduce water demand by 1% each month.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance has alleged that a so-called water tanker mafia is interfering with valves to create demand for tanker services. WaterCAN has also warned that poor and informal communities are bearing the brunt of the ongoing crisis.

Long-term relief remains years away

For some communities, the prospect of a more reliable water supply remains distant.

The municipality confirmed last week that residents in Phoenix would continue facing daily water cuts until 2032, when the R30-billion Upper uMkhomazi Water Project is expected to be completed.

For residents affected by the latest Pinetown South outages, however, the immediate concern remains when water will return.

The municipality says it is monitoring reservoir levels and managing available supplies to prevent further depletion. Residents have also been urged to use water sparingly while efforts to stabilise the system continue.

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Source: IOL