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STATEMENT: Durban Heights-Maphephetheni raw water supply systems in recovery after tampering and vandalism.
A significant leak occurred on the Aqueduct 1-2 approximately 5 kilometres from Nagle Dam on Monday, 20 February 2023. This is a large pipe that conveys raw water from Nagle Dam to the Maphephetheni Water Treatment Plant in KwaNgcolosi, Inanda, and bisects into two aqueducts (Aqueduct 1 and Aqueduct 2) as it heads towards Inanda Dam and the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant in Reservoir Hills, Durban.
Aqueduct 1 and Aqueduct 2 were extensively damaged in Wushini, Inanda, during the April 2022 floods. Aqueduct 1 was repaired and restored on 22 December 2022 and was supplying, on average, 90Ml/d until this week’s break in it. Aqueduct 2 is currently being repaired for recommissioning at the end of June 2023.
A leak in the pipe was discovered on the afternoon of Monday, 20 February 2023, alongside a road in the Ophokweni area, which resulted in large volumes of water gushing out of it. Due to potential risk to public safety, a decision was taken to temporarily shut down the pipe. A full analysis was conducted by Asset Management staff of uMngeni-uThukela Water to determine the cause of the leak. It was discovered there was vandalism to gain access to the chamber and the scour valve was opened.
The consequences of the leak were two-fold:
1. Due to shutdown of Aqueduct 1, no raw water was conveyed to the Maphephetheni Water Treatment Plant, and
2. Due to shutdown of Aqueduct 1, reduced volumes of raw water – estimated at 90Ml/d – had reached the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant. The plant continued to receive water from Aqueduct 3, Aqueduct 4 and through shaft pumps.
The scour valve has since been closed and release of water from Nagle Dam into Aqueduct 1 has begun. The water will reach the Maphephetheni Water Treatment Plant and the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant in a few hours.
There are three potable water storage reservoirs onsite at the Maphephetheni Water Treatment Plant and all of them are in excess of 70%. This means that there was adequate water to supply eThekwini Metro for distribution to consumers in the Maphephetheni and KwaNgcolosi areas during the short shutdown.
If there were unforeseen delays in closing the scour valve, this could have impacted on water resource availability. Therefore, an appeal was made to consumers to please use water sparingly during the temporary closure of this pipe so that the onsite reservoirs were not drastically depleted and were able to supply some water.
Although the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant received reduced volumes of raw water for a certain duration, uMngeni-uThukela Water continues to supply full contracted volumes of 540Ml/d potable water to eThekwini Metro. A request was made to eThekwini Metro to reduce demand and carefully manage distribution to consumers in the supply areas of the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant – North, South, Central and Inner West Durban.
On Monday, 20 February 2023, a massive power outage occurred in many parts of Durban. This also affected potable water production at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Plant. One-third in production at the Durban Heights plant was lost while the Wiggins plant was unable to produce potable water in the duration of the power supply failure.
Consumers in the supply areas of both plants may have experienced water supply disruptions, erratic supply or low tap pressure. uMngeni-uThukela Water apologises for the inconvenience that was caused.
Issued by the Corporate Stakeholder Management Unit Office of the Chief Executive, uMngeni-uThukela Water
Tuesday, 21 February 2023
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