The R175-million eThekwini water and sanitation project is expected to deliver a double benefit to the local community by providing access to running water and toilet facilities, as well as creating thousands of new jobs.

The project, which aims to provide water and sanitation to 1.4-million people living in informal settlements by January 2012, also hopes to create 3,000 new job opportunities over a three-year period.

Each informal settlement will be able to employ about 150 local people during each two-month period.

The R175-million budget will be disbursed over the three-year period, with R40-million allocated for 2009, about R100-million for 2010 and the remaining R35-million for 2011.