Water supply restored to Umlazi hospital and surrounds after two weeks

20 February 2023 - 11:34
By Suthentira Govender
Water supply has been restored to Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi. File photo.
Image: Khaya Ngwenya Water supply has been restored to Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in Umlazi. File photo.

A two-week water outage at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital, south of Durban, ended on Sunday when piped water started flowing after intensive efforts to restore supply to the state facility.

At the time, eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said it would take 10 days to fix the burst pipes in Umlazi township that caused taps to run dry at the hospital and surrounding area including the industrial zones in the southern basin.

Kaunda said the burst pipe was an old asbestos one with leaks. The city decided to remove the pipe and relocate it elsewhere so as not to affect the structure of the South Coast Bridge.

The city said on Sunday water started flowing at the hospital after completion of the construction of the 40cm-diameter steel pipeline.

“The city’s water and sanitation team worked tirelessly on the construction of the pipeline, which required rerouting to avoid damage to the South Coast Bridge on Umlaas Canal,” it said.

“The construction was done parallel to a temporary line, which assisted in supplying water to areas such as Glebelands, Mega City and surrounding areas while the permanent pipeline was being constructed.

“While work to construct the permanent and temporary connection was underway, nearby affected residents and the hospital were supplied with water through tankers.”

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