In November 2019, The Mercury reported that the Department of Environmental Affairs had issued an environmental authorisation for a proposed desalination plant in northern eThekwini near oThongathi and invited public comment. Applicant Umgeni Water stressed that it had no plans at present to build in either the north or the south of the metro. Spokesperson Shami Harichunder pointed to the Lower Thukela and Lower uMkhomazi supply schemes. In 2016, a plant north of Durban had been estimated at 5 billion rand.
The report showed that Umgeni Water kept desalination open as an authorised option while relying on conventional bulk water schemes for the coming years.
Source: The Mercury (Kopie im Webarchiv)