Friday: 09 October 2026
uMngeni-uThukela Water (UUW) wishes to provide an update on the ongoing repairs to a pump at Durban Heights Waterworks following a mechanical failure on Monday, 05 October 2026.
The failure affected one of the four pumps responsible for supplying raw water to the treatment plant, resulting in a shortfall of approximately 50 million litres of water per day.
Repair teams have been working around the clock to restore the affected pump and reinstate normal water supply to the affected areas.
Significant progress has been made, with the pump having been reinstalled in stages over the past two days. However, during commissioning on Thursday, 08 October 2026, the pump experienced operational difficulties and shut down unexpectedly without registering any fault.
Technical teams are currently conducting a series of diagnostic tests to identify the cause of the shutdown and implement the necessary corrective measures.
At this stage, it is not possible to provide an estimated time for the completion of repairs and the restoration of full pumping capacity.
In the meantime, UUW and eThekwini Water and Sanitation (EWS) will continue implementing reduced water supply to parts of Pinetown, Durban North and surrounding areas to manage the available water resources.
The remaining raw water supply from Nagle Dam, which accounts for approximately 76% of the plant’s requirements, remains fully operational.
UUW assures affected residents that every effort is being made to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and restore normal water supply.
We sincerely apologise for the continued inconvenience and thank residents and businesses for their patience and understanding.
Further updates will be communicated as soon as new information becomes available.
Issued by: Office of the Chief Executive, Marketing and Communications Unit
