Durban – Thousands of homes here will have their water turned off every night, from tonight, as drought in the province continues to bite.

Water will be turned off at reservoirs supplying almost 100 areas in central and south Durban from 9pm to 4am as part of measures to avoid taps running dry.

This was announced in a statement from the eThekwini Municipality late on Wednesday.

eThekwini head of water and sanitation Ednick Msweli on Thursday confirmed valves would be turned off promptly at 9pm, but said some homes might still receive water because of supplies remaining in the pipes.

Water restrictors were also being installed to reduce water pressure and flow to eke out the available water and stabilise storage in the Wiggins supply system.

This was supplied by the Inanda Dam which – as of Wednesdaymorning – was 66.69% full.

Umgeni Water spokesman Shami Harichunder said the restriction was part of the municipality’s efforts to meet its obligation to cut water usage by 15%.

It had been decided at a fortnightly meeting of the joint committee established to monitor the water crisis.

The water utility and eThekwini were part of this committee, as was the Ugu District Municipality, the departments of Water and Sanitation as well as Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs. The agricultural sector was also represented.

“This brings Wiggins in line with water restrictions already gazetted,” said Harichunder.

Some residents living mainly in higher-lying areas had been experiencing interruptions to their water supply because of the frequent draining and filling of the system. This had also caused repeated bursts to the water mains.

“These interventions will help to stabilise the water supply system and control the outflow from the reservoirs. The municipality’s intention is to provide customers with an uninterrupted supply once we have reached the desired water savings,” read the statement.

Harichunder said the recent heavy rains had made little impact on dam levels, with the exception of Hazelmere (53.7%).

He said much of the rain had wasted into the sewerage system and ultimately into the sea. Throughout the drought, the levels of the Inanda Dam had remained relatively high, but Harichunder warned that this could only be maintained if water restrictions were implemented.

“We want to ensure that the supply lasts as long as possible and would rather take precautions now than regret it later.

“The Inanda Dam is relatively better than other dams, but its level is not excellent. We don’t want to get to a point where, a few months down the line, it’s as low as other dams,” he said.