Durban residents left dry for nine days in as water crisis hits Springtown

Several residential roads in Springtown, north of Durban, have been without running water for nine days, leaving residents struggling to meet basic daily needs.

Community leaders have written repeatedly to eThekwini Municipality officials, pleading for urgent intervention to restore the water supply. Concerned resident Kaylen Moodley said the area has been experiencing persistent water disruptions since mid-2025, but the latest outage has been the most severe.

According to Moodley, water supply to Dahlia Road, Lotus Road, Foxglove Place, Ribes Place and Alpine Road came to a complete halt on Wednesday, February 4. While the municipality has deployed water tankers to the area, residents say this has been insufficient to meet demand.

“The situation has caused severe hardship for residents. Families are struggling to meet basic needs. Babies, children, the elderly and working adults are all being affected,” Moodley said.

“Access to clean water for drinking, cooking, hygiene and sanitation has become a daily struggle, and conditions are becoming increasingly unsafe and unacceptable.”

Moodley added that despite repeated complaints and escalations to municipal structures, residents have received no clear communication or timeline for resolution.

“There has been no visibility, no updates and no accountability, while residents continue to suffer,” he said.

Another resident, Glynis Murugas, said she received feedback from the municipality indicating that the reference number issued for her complaint was linked to the Sea Cow Lake Reservoir. She believes this points to a possible administrative error.

Murugas suspects there may be confusion between Springtown along Alpine Road and Springfield Park in the Sea Cow Lake area, which are separate suburbs.

“According to the municipal control room, the Sea Cow Lake Reservoir is currently at a healthy level and should not be experiencing any issues,” Murugas said.

She added that Lotus Road is not supplied by the Sea Cow Lake Reservoir, raising further questions about why the outage was linked to that infrastructure.

Residents have called on the municipality to urgently clarify the cause of the disruption, correct any administrative errors and provide a permanent solution to the ongoing water supply challenges in the area.

She suggested that the matter requires immediate attention, as the prolonged lack of water is severely impacting residents.

“What is most concerning is the complete lack of communication. Multiple emails have been sent, and none have been acknowledged or answered. If there is sabotage at the reservoirs, repairs being carried out, or water shedding in effect, we have a right to be informed of what is happening and when the issue will be resolved,” she said

In a general statement about water issues and not directed at Springtown, the municipality stated that they were attending to the interruption of the water supply affecting areas supplied by the Wiggins Water Works High Lift Pump Station

The interruption is a result of low system pressures and exceptionally high water demand, exacerbated by the ongoing heatwave. The municipality stated that sustained high demand has placed a significant strain on the water distribution system, resulting in reservoirs being unable to maintain healthy operating levels.

"Consequently, areas within certain reservoir supply zones are being affected. The municipality added that high-lying and high-level areas are particularly vulnerable, as they depend on sufficient reservoir levels and pressure to receive a consistent water supply."

Technical teams from the Water Services Directorate are monitoring the system and implementing operational interventions to stabilise reservoir levels, the city said.

"These interventions include detailed inspections of pipe routes, valve chambers, line valves, air valves and other critical infrastructure to identify and address any issues that may be contributing to reduced supply pressure," the municipality stated.

Affected areas include:

• Sherwood 3 Reservoir: Bonela, Briardene, Clare Estate, Clare Hills, Garden Park, Morningside, Musgrave, Palmiet, Sherwood, Sparks, Springfield, Springfield Flats, Sydenham, Waterval Park, Westridge and Wiggins.

Affected reservoirs include:

• Chesterville Reservoir
• Ridge View Reservoir
• St Thomas Reservoir
• Currie Road Reservoir
• Ridge End Reservoir
• Rosetta Reservoir
• Cato Manor Reservoir
• South Ridge Reservoir
• Woodlands 1 and 2 Reservoirs
• Lamontville Reservoir
• Mobeni Rear
• Bluff 1, 2, and 3 Reservoirs
• South Reservoir

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

SUNDAY TRIBUNE