ETHEKWINI Municipality has announced that no further effluent has been discharged into the Palmiet River since Tuesday, 31 May.
Effluent was discharged into the Palmiet River following a blockage in the drainage line of Blair Road Sewage Pump Station in Pinetown on Tuesday afternoon.
“Immediate action was taken to resolve the situation with focused efforts to repair the pump station. The station was flooded late on Tuesday afternoon, but was operational later that night with a back-up pump immediately switched on.
“This resulted in no further surcharging of effluent from the station,” said eThekwini Municipality’s head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa.
Two back-up pumps are operational, with the flooded pumps being serviced and expected to be operational soon. In the interim, people have been urged to avoid contact with the Palmiet River below Blair Road as well as the Umgeni River below the confluence with the Palmiet River for approximately two kilometres.
“The natural processes of the river, including the flow of the river, will dilute the sewerage in the next few days,” added Mthethwa.
