In some parts of eThekwini, unmarked trucks are illegally selling water to families as municipalities struggle to get water to some areas. Verulam, KwaMashu, Phoenix, Tongaat and Kwasimba are among the areas affected by water scarcity.
eThekwini Municipality uses its own water tankers to deliver free water to areas with limited or no running water and contracts with private contractors to add services. However, in some places municipal water is sold by unmarked trucks.
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In Verulam, GroundUp spoke to a water tanker driver who was refilling a tank from the city's water tap. He admitted that he was taking this water to sell back to his household. He said that to fill a 5,000 liter container he would charge 500 ran. Other drivers were reportedly doing the same thing.
At Adams Mission, on the coast south of Isakwini, GroundUp saw another water tanker parked at several houses in the area. The driver admitted he was selling water and said he would charge R500 for 5,000 liters. The resident admitted to purchasing two 500-litre bottles for R250.
According to the eThekwini municipal tariff for 2023/2024, there is no charge for water up to 6,000 liters, even if it is supplied through pipes.
“Not allowed under any circumstances”
When asked if the city was aware that it was selling municipal water to residents, spokesperson Gugu Sicilana said: “Water tankers are not allowed to sell water to residents or businesses under any circumstances. Municipal tankers have decals on them that indicate the water is not for sale. Report an incident There is also a contact number for: Tanker supervisors are conducting occasional inspections as a deterrent.''
Ms Sicilana said the Verulam incident needed to be investigated. However, after reviewing records dating back to 2023, the municipality said it had “not officially received any complaints regarding the sale of water by its employees.”
Sicilana said the city owns 157 water tankers, with 151 currently in operation. In addition, the city routinely hires trucks from contractors when the city's truck capacity is exceeded.
GroundUp sent the license plates of trucks selling water to the municipality.
Sicilana said the license plate did not belong to a city truck, but did not comment on the possibility that it belonged to a contractor hired by the city, noting that GroundUp had contacted police.
Residents of Adams Mission, where water shortages have been a problem for years, said they had no choice but to buy water because the city's water trucks didn't come regularly.
They said they could pay to have unmarked trucks make deliveries. One resident said the driver could be contacted by phone.
Those who cannot afford to pay have to fetch water from wells or nearby suburbs. Well water is dirty and must be purified before drinking.
“We are suffering because we are poor,” said one resident.
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This was a notice to the district council members.
All the residents GroundUp spoke to either bought water from trucks or knew others who did, but Adams Mission ward councilor Siphephelo Myandu said: He said he was not aware that water tankers were selling water in the ward.
EThekwini's Sisilana said Adams Mission had basic water service infrastructure and was not designed for a full-pressure system.
More consumers are also bypassing flow restrictors, and demand has increased “significantly,” he added.
“Despite the cooperative efforts of the municipality, the current water supply has proven inadequate, leading to the rapid depletion of reservoirs.”
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Several Adams Mission residents sent a letter to the municipality in February demanding a resolution. No response has been received yet. One business owner who showed the letter to GroundUp said his water had been cut off for 10 years.
“The trucks come maybe once a week, maybe two weeks out,” he says.
Even if the city truck comes, they won't be able to fill up the rain tank. “I ended up buying it.”
Signs are posted on the sides of city water trucks reminding residents that selling water is a crime.Image: Joseph Bracken/GroundUp
© 2024 GroundUp. This article was originally published here.
