We have gathered important contact numbers and emails to help you report problems to your local municipality. If you can't get through or feel your report isn’t being logged, try reaching out to your ward councillor or community groups. Stay patient, be polite and always ask for a reference number.

You can make sure our city services work well. It's important to report issues like potholes, power cuts, water leaks, or fallen trees. Following up and taking more steps if needed can help fix these issues.

General reporting

• Fault reporting: www.durban.gov.za

Water issues you can report

• Blocked and overflowing sewers/drains
• Check water issues
• Bad water quality
• No water
• Low water pressure
• Leaking municipal pipes
• Need water supply

Contact eThekwini Water and Sanitation

• Call: 031 311 8804
• WhatsApp: 073 148 3477
• Email: enquiries@durbanwaste.gov.za

Sanitation and waste disposal issues you can report

• Street cleaning in CBD, including bus and taxi rank
• Collection and removal of waste from households and businesses
• Recycling of home waste
• Issuing black refuse bags to residents and clear bags for recyclable waste
• Removal of garden refuse and builders' rubble by means of skip services
• Removal of animal carcasses
• Clearing of debris in cut-off trenches
• Covering of compacted waste with appropriate soil cover
• Grading of access roads
• Composting of garden refuse
• Community toilets: townships/informal settlements
• Illegal dumping

Contact Durban Solid Waste Management

• Call: 031 311 8804
• WhatsApp: 073 148 3477
• Email: enquiries@durbanwaste.gov.za

When reporting an issue, make sure you get a reference number, let your neighbourhood group know that you have reported the problem, and share the reference number on the group.

Remember that if the issue is not fixed, then you and your neighbours should follow up. The more you follow up, the more likely it is to get fixed.

Reported and still no luck? Click here to see what you can do next.

Source: eThekwini Municipality

Get your community involved

Is there a community-driven group or caring business in your area? A dedicated group of committed people can effectively solve local problems.

Think about starting or joining community groups like a street WhatsApp group, residents' association, or community policing forum (CPF) to get help and to stay informed and involved in local issues.

How to set up a community group

How to start a WhatsApp group

How to start a residents' association

How to set up a community policing forum

How to set up a neighbourhood watch

How to organise community action

How to use media to create pressure for change

Know your rights – how local government works

It’s important to understand how your local government works so that you can work with them to support what they are doing while your community continues to keep them accountable and deliver services on time. Remember you have a constitutional right to many of the services provided by local government, as well as to accountability and transparency, wherever you live and regardless of how.