Floods and vandals take heavy toll on eThekwini’s wastewater infrastructure

Incidents of vandalism and erratic power supply are posing a challenge to the eThekwini municipality’s efforts to bring some of its wastewater pump stations, damaged by the floods, back online.

This was revealed by the municipality after the latest environmental disaster to befall the city, where scores of dead fish were discovered at the Isipingo Beach lagoon, south of the city, last week.

The city ordered a clean-up and warned the public not to collect or consume the fish.

The Sunday Times reported that activists and water experts have blamed Durban’s recent environmental and public health woes on eThekwini municipality’s ageing hydraulic infrastructure.

Malfunctioning pump stations in and around the city have resulted in high E.coli levels in rivers and the ocean in recent months, prompting the closure of some beaches, which have since reopened.

The high levels of the harmful bacteria were attributed to damage to the city’s wastewater treatment plants and sanitation infrastructure caused by the recent floods, resulting in sewage pollution.

Lindiwe Khuzwayo, head of the city’s communication unit, said: “Of the 23 wastewater pump stations damaged by the floods in the southern region, 18 have been brought back online.

“The ones that have not been brought back online are either because of vandalism, power supply that has not been restored, or lack of parts availability to carry out repairs”

She said the city is “working with law enforcement and other stakeholders to protect infrastructure”.

“City infrastructure is being repaired and maintained on an ongoing basis, but events like the recent floods and chronic vandalism makes it difficult to always have critical equipment online, with the resulting impact on the environment.”

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