uMngeni-uThukela Water advises customers and stakeholders that planned water curtailments will be reintroduced from Monday, 1 September 2025. These curtailments will affect the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, Msunduzi Local Municipality and the uMgungundlovu District Municipality, all of which are supplied from the uMngeni River system.
This intervention is in keeping with the abstraction licence conditions issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). These conditions require that uMngeni-uThukela Water must not go above the set limits when abstracting water from dams.
This is to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the system and ensure water availability in times of low or no rainfall.
The Department of Water and Sanitation first introduced the curtailments in 2024 as a means of reducing the amount of water abstracted by uMngeni-uThukela Water from dams to be in line with the permissible abstraction volumes.
However, following a healthy summer rainfall season and overflowing dams, they were temporarily suspended.
Thus far, uMngeni-uThukela Water has been supplying water that exceeds the contracted volumes to the three affected municipalities.
While dam levels within the uMngeni system are currently stable, it is critical to implement prudent water management measures in anticipation of possible future drought conditions.
The curtailments will involve a percentage reduction in water supplied to the affected municipalities. The municipalities will, in turn, determine and communicate specific restrictions or supply adjustments for end users.
uMngeni-uThukela Water remains committed to working closely with DWS, municipalities, and stakeholders to manage the system responsibly.