eThekwini allocates hundreds of millions to reduce water losses

eThekwini Municipality has committed significant funds to cut water losses, committing hundreds of millions of rands to initiate leak repairs, replace pipes, and hire more plumbing staff. Mayor Cyril Xaba outlined R565 million for targeted leak repairs, R102 million for proactive leak detection, and R100 million for pipe replacement during a post-Council briefing on Sunday.

An additional R124 million will fund the hiring of 70 more plumbers to cut response times for burst pipe isolation to four hours. These measures are outlined in the Water and Sanitation Turnaround Strategy, which seeks to shave 5% off annual non-revenue water (water losses) and eventually bring it below 25%.

Xaba emphasized that the strategy requires a mix of actions, including pipe replacement, rapid leak response, meter modernization, and bulk meter installations at key access points. The municipality earmarked R70 million for new water meters, with a goal of replacing 40,000 old meters annually. As of June, 150,000 flow restrictors have been installed in high-pressure zones. The city has also hired more meter-reading teams, cutting the reliance on estimated readings to just 6%.

Further budget allocations include R54 million for automated reservoir outlets and R5 million for bulk meters in rural areas. The city has also taken over its own water tanker service, investing around R345 million in an internal fleet of 318 tankers, with expansion planned before the year ends.