2 days ago
Urgent action needed for water quality in KwaZulu-Natal
KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi has called upon the Mayor of uMkhanyakude to ensure that the gates of the municipality are opened.
Image: Supplied by KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs
A REPORT released in the first half of 2025 has indicated that KwaZulu-Natal's drinking water was largely not suitable for human consumption.
The 2023 Blue Drop Report showed that out of the 172 water supply systems in KZN, only three were Blue Drop certified, while 34 were performing poorly, and 21 were in a critical state.
The results have prompted the portfolio committee of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to engage with the department on the concerning state of the province's potable water.
Marlaine Nair, the portfolio committee chairperson, said the matter required an urgent response.
'We will raise the matter with Cogta - water quality must be a priority,' Nair said in response to Blue Drop Reports revelations.
Cogta KZN's spokesperson, Senzelwe Mzila, said their challenges are multifaceted, which included ailing infrastructure and budget limitations.
Therefore, Cogta has committed to enforce the development and implementation of recommendations listed in the report to improve water access and quality standards in the province.
Mzila said his department will also explore the potential for different municipalities to use wind turbines as an alternative energy source.
Another challenge listed by Mzila was the shortage of water in KZN, which was due mostly to the lack of operations and maintenance of key infrastructure in the municipalities, which, according to him, had been deteriorating over the years due to various factors.
'To mitigate the growing water supply challenges, we will work closely with the provincial Treasury department and monitor municipal budgets to ensure a minimum of 8% allocation for operational and maintenance (O&M) costs,' he said.
Mzila said what the department had found was that billions of rands are lost annually to non-revenue water in the province.
According to him, this staggering figure underscores a critical challenge that was severely compromising water security for communities.
'As highlighted by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, the issue of non-revenue water is a national crisis, but its impact is particularly acute in KwaZulu-Natal.
The province is already grappling with the pressures of population growth, climate change, and unequal distribution of water resources, and this is further burdened by this significant wastage,' he said.
