NON-REVENUE WATER REDUCTION PROGRAM

MSUNDUZI MUNICIPALITY
NON-REVENUE WATER REDUCTION PROGRAM
 
Planned Pressure Reduction: Frequently asked Questions and Guidance Notes

1. Why is the Municipality dropping pressures?
 The reduction of average system operating pressures is being carried out in accordance with both National standards (as recommended by the Department of Water Affairs) and a long-term strategy recently adopted by the Msunduzi Municipality. Reducing unnecessarily high pressures has the following benefits:

• Reducing water leak volume
• Reducing the number of frequency of pipe bursts
• Extending the life of the water distribution system
• Ensuring that all consumers receive water in the future
• Lowering the operating costs of the Municipality, which ultimately lowers the cost of water for the consumer.

2. What are the new pressure design standards?
 The changes are in line with the current Water Supply Bylaws. The new pressure design standards adopted by the Municipality ensure that the maximum pressure experienced by any consumer will not exceed 600kPa / 60m / 6bar. For full-pressure systems/consumers, the minimum residual pressure will not drop below 250kPa / 25m / 2,5 bar at the consumer meter. For semi-pressure systems/consumers (i.e. those consumers fed off a roof tank or ground tank), the minimum residual pressure will not drop below 150kPa / 15m / 1,5 bar.

3. Why was I not consulted or informed about this?
 Legal notices and numerous media articles have been published in the mainstream newspapers, local newspapers as well as forming the basis of a number of radio interviews. Prior to any reduction in pressure special street pole sign boards are erected at least two weeks before any pressure changes. These boards are in both English and isiZulu.

4. How long will this carry on for?
 The reduction of water pressure is viewed as a long-term solution in improving water distribution efficiency and consequently, as long as the minimum pressures are supplied, will become a permanent arrangement.

5. Why pressure drop in the peak periods?
 Every effort is being made to ensure that the minimum pressure will be supplied during peak demand periods. The greatest reduction in pressure will take place during off-peak periods, but this would not be noticeable to the majority of consumers.

6. Will the drop in pressure be noticeable?
 Approximately 90% of consumers will not notice any tangible change in pressure. The most noticeable change will be for those customers who previously supplied with pressures higher than 60m / 600kPa / 6 bar, while those who previously had the minimum acceptable pressure should not notice any change.

7. Am I the only affected person?
 No. As part of the roll-out of reduced operating pressures, all reservoir zones shall be evaluated and assessed in terms of the impact of reducing pressures.

8. Will my water bill be affected?
 No, there will be no negative consequence to your monthly water consumption and bill, so consumers will not be paying more as a result of this exercise. Even though the average system pressures are being lowered, consumers will still have access to the same volume of water as they are used to.

9. Will the top floor/upper levels of my house/flat/business be affected?
 The minimum pressure supplied under the new pressure design standards is sufficient to supply a six storey building (or a building 18m tall) with adequate pressure on the top floor. Should the consumers building be higher than six storeys, then the owner would need to ensure that the building is compliant with both the Water Supply Bylaws and National Building Regulations.

Should the building be greater than six storeys high, then the design of the water supply to the building will need to be checked by a registered professional engineer to ensure compliance with the National Building Regulations.

10. Will the reduction in pressure compromise fire-fighting capacity?
 Prior to any reduction in pressure, the affect of the pressure drop on the fire-fighting capacity of the reticulation system is determined. Pressure reduction will not be implemented if it negatively affects the ability of the water reticulation network to fight fires according to Regulations or Codes of Practice. On completion of the pressure reduction, fire hydrant flow tests will be conducted to confirm that the system still meets the requirements of the applicable Regulations.

It is recommended that commercial and industrial consumers contact the relevant professionals involved in the design of their fire-fighting system to ensure that the pressure changes are integrated into their system in accordance with the relevant Codes of Practice.

11. Will my household appliances be affected?
 All water-consuming appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines will need to be checked to ensure that they can continue to operate under a minimum of pressure of 250kPa / 25m / 2,5 bar, but most appliances such as hot water geysers, heat pumps and solar panels should continue unaffected. For consumers who have spaced-irrigation systems, some minor adjustments may be necessary to ensure continued coverage.

12. You've already inconvenienced me by replacing pipes in my area, so why the need to drop pressure as well?
 Both the pipe replacement and pressure reduction programmes have been necessary to ensure that the water reticulation network that distributes an average of 160 million litres of water to just over 600 000 people each day does so as efficiently as possible and minimises leaks and wastage. Without completing these activities, the reality of facing restrictions and increased interruptions becomes more likely. The Municipality is being proactive in responsibly managing a scarce and precious resource for current and future generations.

13. What are the chances of me not getting water after pressure reduction?
 The Municipality will ensure that the minimum residential pressure supplied to any customer is 250kPa / 25m / 2,5 bar at the point of their consumer meter. However, some customers may experience lower pressure than this inside their premises due to:

• The age and condition of their internal plumbing, particularly if they are resident in old dwellings that might have galvanised iron pipes
• The presence of known or unknown leaks on their property
• The dwelling is substantially higher than their consumer meter.

In each of these instances, the consumer will need to be proactive and identify and address the cause of the problem. The cost of this investigation and remedial action will need to be borne by the consumer.

14. Why did it take so long for the Municipality to do something about the high levels of water loss?
 Five and ten-year targets for reducing levels of water loss have been adopted and the roll-out of pressure reduction forms part of this approved master plan.

The Municipality undertakes regular reviews of the water supply availability and projected usage for the entire Municipal area of supply. The Municipality also undertakes monthly monitoring of each individual reservoir supply zone to determine the efficiency of water supply.
Copyright © 2018 Msunduzi

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