ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAYOR XABA WARNS RESIDENTS AGAINST MISUSE OF WATER AND SANITATION INFRASTRUCTURE
EThekwini Municipality Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba has called on residents to stop erecting structures on municipal water and sanitation infrastructure and disposing of foreign objects into sewer lines and manholes.
The Mayor made the call today during his service delivery oversight programme in KwaMashu, where he assessed ongoing challenges related to sewer spillages and burst water pipes.
KwaMashu records the highest number of sewer spillages in eThekwini, followed by Inanda and Ntuzuma and Umlazi. While population growth continues to place significant pressure on the City’s water and sanitation infrastructure, many of the challenges are further exacerbated by residents who build structures over municipal infrastructure and dispose of foreign objects into sewer lines and manholes.
“During my oversight visit here, I discovered that people are building on top of our infrastructure. This creates serious challenges when our teams are called upon to respond to sewer line blockages. We appeal to residents to desist from this behaviour. To address the problem, our teams are finalising designs to redirect most of the sewer lines in the area,” said Mayor Xaba.
The Mayor has also directed City officials to intensify public education campaigns to raise awareness about the proper use of water and sanitation infrastructure and the dangers associated with its misuse.
The campaign will subsequently be extended to other areas across the City. However, municipal teams will continue working in KwaMashu to address all identified challenges and improve the reliability of water and sanitation services in the area.
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