Taps run dry: Chatsworth and Shallcross residents face prolonged water outages

RESIDENTS of Chatsworth and Shallcross are enduring weeks-long water outages despite living near reservoirs, with elderly citizens particularly affected. As municipal water tankers fail to reach all areas, community members stockpile water while facing unexplained high bills.

Officials cite infrastructure challenges and illegal connections, promising relief through the R1.2 billion Southern Aqueduct project due for completion next year.

At a recent eThekwini Municipality Exco meeting, the city said it had made progress on key infrastructure projects, including the Southern Aqueduct. 

“The R1.2 billion bulk water pipeline is scheduled for completion next year.  Overall, the project is over 40% complete and is expected to bring additional capacity to meet the growing demand and provide much-needed relief to communities in the south of the city,” said the municipality in a statement.

DA councillor, Bob Daniel Naidoo, said the Chatsworth 4 reservoir, in Moorton, had never-ending issues. 

“This reservoir provides water to Moorton but we have multiple informal settlements like Lusaka and Bottle Brush, feeding off the supply. We also face illegal connections in the informal settlements.

“We have unscrupulous people stealing water. All of this impacts the residents' infrastructure. Presently, there are about 13 leaks on roads in this suburb which have not been fixed. There are even leaks outside the temple. Our pleas for help fall on deaf ears,” said Naidoo.

Mannie Varden, a community activist, said that the Chatsworth 4 Reservoir was built for Moorton, parts of Crossmoor, Montford, Westcliff and Arena Park. 

“However, the biggest area which uses the water is Welbedacht east and west. The reservoir is now catering for more areas than it was meant to, which is why the water supply is so low or cut off. 

“In the informal settlement residents are charged R400 a month for water and electricity by their ‘landlords’. These are illegal connections. But the saddest part is the water which is being wasted. Residents leave the taps running the entire day without care,” claimed Varden.

Residents said the outages had left them without access to clean running water, unable to cook, bathe, or even flush toilets

Amra Bidesi said life without water was becoming unbearable. 

“I am 81 years old, and I have been living here for over 60 years. I am really suffering. We live across the reservoir yet we struggle without water. I am sickly and it upsets me when I cannot do simple things like washing clothes or cooking. I like my house to be neat and clean but there are always bottles of water everywhere.

"I live below road level, so when the water tankers come, I have to walk down a steep flight of stairs with the buckets and bottles. I sometimes find myself standing on the road for two hours, waiting for a water tanker. It is tiring,” said Bidesi.

Zaiboon Neesa Sheik, 64, a retiree who recently moved to Moorton from Bayview said the municipality water tankers did not supply them with water daily.

“We rely on a private water tanker. Sometimes that tanker runs out of water and we are left high and dry. The municipality does not even care for us, they supply water to the informal settlements but not to us,” claimed Sheik.

Pastor Appalsamy Pentiah, 75, said: “The water scheduling is unpredictable and the municipality does not always follow it. Then we find ourselves in a situation where we have no water for days on end."

Housewife Sandra Naidoo, 48, said with the constant outages, her water metre was damaged. 

“My family and I live with my mother-in-law who is a pensioner. The water has been on and off so frequently, that our metre started running without even having water. The reading is so high that the municipality said our bill was R67 000. 

“We cannot pay the bill. It is outrageous that we have no water yet the bill is so high. It is frustrating the lives we have to live,” said Naidoo. 

Mohan Hiralall, the secretary of the Moorton Ratepayers Association, said residents were fed up with the lack of service delivery.

Shallcross residents said they suffered the same plight daily.

Zakir Mahommed said: “I live a few doors away from the Shallcross reservoir yet we do not receive our supply of water regularly. We are always  without water from days to many weeks. It has been two months now that we have had no water. The irony is that bills still come with charges for water that we did not receive. We are at our wits end. The water tankers are also rarely sent to us to assist us."

Kulsum Shaik, from Deccan Drive, said she was frustrated and disappointed with the constant water outages in Shallcross. 

“We are often left to struggle with dry taps. It is not just an inconvenience; it is a disruption to our daily routine, businesses, and overall quality of life.

“The neighbouring areas appear to have a reliable water supply. The recurring outages in our area also poses serious health risks. Without access to clean water, residents are forced to rely on alternative sources, which can be contaminated,” said Shaik. 

Raakhee Bridgmohan from the Shallcross Ratepayers and Civic Association said that some water issues have been sorted out. 

“Although there have been some improvement to the water supply, in Shallcross Extension 1, some residents continue to face extended periods without water. The constant excuse given by the city is that reservoirs are low.

“Burst pipes have also now become a new crisis; the existing infrastructure is over 60 years old and urgently needs replacement. Erratic tanker services and empty JoJo tanks leave families with no backup, forcing them to struggle for the most basic human need, water.

“We are demanding clear answers from authorities, immediate relief for residents, and a long-term plan to upgrade ageing infrastructure so that this cycle of crisis does not continue,” said Bridgmohan. 

THE POST