‘Durban Harbour sewage spill caused by load shedding,’ says City
Beaches remain open to the public as the City tackles the sewage spill.
WHILE the eThekwini Municipality is working to repair the Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station, alarm bells were raised on social media after sewage flooded the Durban Harbour.
The municipality issued a statement on Tuesday, November 9, saying the pump station flooded due to load shedding. A message circulated on social media earlier this week and called on residents to avoid swimming at Durban beaches.
The Municipality, however, said the beaches are safe to use and will remain open as the spill is addressed.
Also read: Plea for ongoing sewage leak to be resolved
“EThekwini Municipality is aware of the sewage flooding the Durban Harbour via Lavender Creek. This is as a result of the Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station being flooded due to load shedding. This damaged the pumping equipment resulting in this unfortunate situation. The City is dosing the spill at Lavender Creek to minimise the negative impact,” said the City.
“Beaches are being monitored continuously, particularly beaches between the north and the Bay of Plenty pier. All beaches are currently safe for public use. The City will communicate in the event of any signs of danger.”
Also read: Beaches north of Umgeni River to partially reopen
Fishing DBN took to its YouTube channel to share a video of the water in the harbour, following the sewage spill.
The City said the reparation of the pumps is underway and repairs are expected to be complete by Thursday, November 11.
“All stakeholders have been contacted and the City sincerely apologises for this inconvenience,” concluded the City.
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