By Levy Masiteng
EThekwini Municipality has presented a 10-year investment plan worth more than R12 billion to overhaul sanitation infrastructure and stabilise service delivery.
The plan was announced during an Executive Committee (EXCO) ordinary meeting on Wednesday.
Presented by acting water and sanitation services director Sibusiso Vilane, the plan is intended to unlock new housing projects, attract industrial and tourism investment, and protect rivers and coastal ecosystems.
The municipality said spending would be concentrated in four major areas of the sanitation system. Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTWs) are earmarked for between R4 billion and R6 billion to expand capacity, improve sludge management, and ensure effluent complies with regulatory standards.
A further R5 billion to R7 billion is planned for sewer network rehabilitation and expansion, aimed at eliminating blockages, improving hydraulic capacity, and reducing pollution hotspots that have increasingly angered residents and environmental groups.
Pump stations, many of which have suffered repeated failures and vandalism, are set to receive R2 billion to R3 billion for mechanical and electrical refurbishment, standby power and automation upgrades.
Another R1 billion to R2 billion will go to alternative sanitation solutions and informal settlement upgrades, including communal ablution facilities and decentralised technologies.
“Digitalisation and Smart Systems will get R500 million for real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and modern asset management,” the city said.
The metro has come under sustained pressure over sewage spills, ageing infrastructure and frequent breakdowns in recent years, which have polluted waterways and beaches and damaged Durban’s tourism image. Officials said the investment blueprint is designed to tackle those failures and restore confidence in basic services.
With the plan, the city aims to stabilise operations, reduce environmental harm and improve reliability for households and businesses that depend on its water and sanitation network.
“It also ensures compliance with national effluent standards and supports climate resilience. The municipality envisions a modern, resilient, digitally enabled sanitation system that fosters community trust and positions eThekwini as a high-performance city ready for economic expansion,” Vilane added.
The reports on the proposed investments will be submitted to a full council meeting for further deliberation and approval.
INSIDEMETROS