Following a reading that was done at uMngeni River by a water consultancy agency to test for E. coli levels on Saturday, 5 February, it was discovered that the levels were 350 times over the limit in Durban waters. This raised eyebrows as the beaches in Durban were closed for a short time during the festive season but were later opened for public bathing after the City stated that tests done on 6 January proved it was free of pollution which may pose a threat to humans.
On 7 January, the City again called for an immediate closure of all northern beaches with eThekwini Municipality Spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, saying: “The levels of this bacteria have been compounded by the unceasing vandalism of one of the City’s sewage pump stations and abnormally heavy rains that are washing waste from multitudes of informal settlements along the uMngeni River.” Following the recent readings, the Democratic Alliance called for an urgent investigation into the water quality levels of the rivers and beaches within eThekwini. In a statement released on Thursday, 10 February, the DA stated that the report said the reading at the various sites, where tests were conducted, showed extreme contamination. “In Kingfisher Canoe Club or Blue Lagoon, the E. coli levels stood at 68 670 per 100ml; Johanna Road pump station 16 160 per 100ml; Northern Wastewater Treatment Works 920 800 per 100ml and at the
Mount Moreland Bridge 4 611 per 100ml. The acceptable range for an E. coli count ought to be in the region of 200 to 400 per 100 millilitre and these levels exceed critical concentrations by the thousands,” read the statement. Earlier this year, DA councillors raised a red flag on the same issue after multiple reports from the communities in uMhlanga and Umdloti. The eThekwini Communications Department, however, refuted claims of any toxicity and declared the rivers and beaches “free of any pollution that may pose threat to life”. “The reality is that sewer pump stations across the City are routinely and repeatedly failing. The pollution of the Umbilo River is of particular concern and continues without any remedial action to prevent sewage spills. Sewage and other pollutants overflow into the uMngeni River on a weekly basis from two of the City’s municipal wastewater treatment facilities and nearby industrial facilities,” the DA argued.
The opposition party said a report presented to the Municipality’s Executive Committee, last year, stated that eThekwini Water and Sanitation requires more than R40 billion for the replacement costs of the sewerage pipe network and sanitation facilities. “The stark reality is that the allocated budget is only around R300 million per annum for water and sanitation and nowhere near the R1.2 billion per annum required for the long-term plan. At the rate that eThekwini is budgeting for replacement and preventative maintenance in this unit, it will take close to 100 years to fix eThekwini’s water and sanitation woes. There has been no radical adjustment of the budget or emergency processes to halt the decay and breakdown of critical infrastructure,” read the DA’s statement. A week after the DA’s call for investigations, eThekwini Municipality issued a statement on 17 February, confirming high E. coli levels. Mayisela said this is due to sewage overflow from some of eThekwini’s sewage pump stations which are constantly vandalised. “Repairs have been made on two pump stations which are now operating. However, the Johanna Road pump station feeding Umhlangane River, which joins uMngeni River, is still under repairs. The Water and Sanitation Department is dosing the stormwater overflow with chlorine tablets.
For this reason, Blue Lagoon Beach remains closed until further notice. Recreational activities at uMngeni and Umhlangane rivers are not recommended. The outlet from the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works is being dosed with sodium hypochlorite and the public will be informed once it’s safe to use water and the City apologises for inconvenience caused,” he said. Commenting on the matter, DA Ward 26 Councillor, Sharmaine Sewshanker, said: “This ongoing sewage contamination is a problem as it affects tourism, businesses, the yacht club, boating tours and the fishermen who solely rely on the fishing.” She said the dysfunctional pump stations are a result of the over-crowded old and damaged buildings, filled with illegal occupants, which connect to the stormwater system in the City. “The South Beach pump station still hasn’t been fixed,” she added. Cllr Sewshanker said eThekwini should be proactive. “Where are the health inspectors, stormwater inspectors? We would like to know from the officials what is being done about these high levels of E. coli in our waters, how are they going to resolve this?” she questioned.
