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Man drinking water from a bottle.
Soaring temperatures in Durban have driven up water usage, causing concern over dwindling reservoirs and supply issues.
The eThekwini Municipality says the high demand is placing significant strain on the water distribution network.
This has resulted in water supply interruptions in some areas as several reservoirs struggle to meet the high demand.
Mayor Cyril Xaba says there’s no crisis but has urged residents to use water sparingly to ensure stable supply to all communities.
“It looks as though the heatwave is going to be with us for some days or weeks. You know what this means, people use more water when it is like this and we don’t want to face a situation where in certain areas we run out of water because we failed to conserve water. It’s time now to conserve water. Use water sparingly, use water responsibly so that we can have more water for everyone.”
ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 FEBRUARY 2026CITY URGES RESIDENTS TO REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION AS DEMAND SOARS
EThekwini Municipality advises residents that the ongoing heat wave has caused a sharp increase in water consumption across the City.
The high demand is…
— eThekwini Municipality (@eThekwiniM) February 10, 2026
Meanwhile, a severe thunderstorm is expected to hit areas along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline and the Midlands.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) has issued a yellow level 2 weather warning of heavy downpours, damaging winds, excessive lightning accompanied by hail.
Areas that could be affected include eThekwini, Ray Nkonyeni, Greater Kokstad and Underberg.
The weather is expected to persist until Thursday morning.
Weather forecast for today & tomorrow, 11 – 12 February 2026.
Partly cloudy & warm to hot conditions are expected, but it will be cloudy along the south coast with isolated to scattered showers & thundershowers possible over the central & eastern parts of the country. #saws pic.twitter.com/oKnrgCDTgK— SA Weather Service (@SAWeatherServic) February 11, 2026
