On the eve of the Easter weekend – one of the busiest in Durban’s tourism schedule – the eThekwini municipality has been forced to close one of its southern beaches due to sewage pouring into the ocean.
“The eThekwini Municipality would like to inform residents that two process units at the Southern Wastewater Treatment Works‚ which discharges effluent into the Indian Ocean‚ have failed following last week’s heavy rainfall.
“There was a mechanical failure of two pumps at a low level sump that pumps effluent out to the sea. The two units had to be put offline to effect necessary repairs‚ resulting in the overloading of the low level sump and thus carry-over onto the Merebank’s Cuttings Beach‚” the council said in a statement.
Merebank is in the South Durban Basin‚ and the city’s more popular northern swimming beaches – including on the famed Golden Mile – are not affected.
City spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa said both units at the wastewater plant were undergoing repairs and were expected back online “early next week”.
Head of Water and Sanitation Ednick Msweli said that the effluent will be aerated to increase oxygen levels and to assist aquatic life.
“It will also be monitored and sampled daily with samples being sent to the laboratory for testing. The community is prohibited from using Cuttings Beach for fishing or any other recreational activities during this period. The affected areas will be demarcated with relevant signage and the municipality will undertake all necessary action to ensure that the situation is normalised as soon as possible‚” said Msweli.
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