Durban residents could be in for dry night after water pipeline botch-up

An eThekwini Municipality contractor inadvertently damaged one of the city’s main water supply pipelines while drilling underground holes for electrical cable on Thursday‚ leaving possibly thousands without water for the night.

The pipeline is one of two arterial supply lines for the city’s water. City engineers are now scrambling to repair the pipeline as thousands of residents face a dry night.

In a statement issued by the municipality‚ the damage to the pipeline was done in Umbilo.

“Water supply has been restored in some parts of the City. Also‚ water tankers have been distributed to affected areas. One of two main pipes supplying the whole city was damaged when a contractor‚ appointed to lay electrical cables‚ made trial holes to assess services underground.

“During the assessment‚ the pipe was exposed and this resulted in its damage‚” the statement reads.

- TimesLIVE