Ethekwini closes some beaches due to high E. coli levels

The Ethekwini municipality has closed some beaches with immediate effect due to high levels of E. coli in the water.

This after recent water testing results which confirmed high levels of E. coli.

“All water activities such as swimming, surfing, fishing, bathing, canoeing, and other activities taking place at City beaches are therefore prohibited. Beachgoers are urged to heed this warning as disregarding it could result in outbreaks of waterborne diseases,” said Ethekwini on Monday.

Closed beaches include:

• Westbrook
• uMhlanga Main
• uMdloti
• Casuarina
• eThekwini Beach
• Laguna Seasonal Beach
• Ansteys Beach
• Brighton Beach
• Isiphingo Beach
• Reunion Beach
• Warner Beach
• Amanzimtoti Main Beach
• Pipeline Beach
  

According to the municipality, residents are allowed to do other activities along the beach that do not require them to come into contact with sea water.

Lifeguards and law enforcement officers will be on site to monitor the beaches to ensure the public adheres to the closures. The public will be notified when the beaches are deemed safe to utilise.

This is not the first time the municipality was forced to close some beaches due to high levels of E.coli.

In June, the municipality closed some beaches, saying a significant damage to the wastewater treatment plants and sanitation infrastructure had resulted in sewerage pollution in many rivers.

“In the interests of public health, communities are advised to avoid all contact (swimming, fishing, recreational and sporting activities as well as traditional activities) with water in rivers or streams as this may result in gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, and other waterborne related diseases,” said the municipality at the time.

According to the Democratic Alliance (DA), there were reports of hundreds of fish dying in the Blue Lagoon area on Monday.

“Ecoli counts at monitoring stations are now reading into the millions of Cfu, making it impossible for authorities to open the most popular beaches before the summer holiday season begins,” said the DA.

It will reportedly cost an estimated R4 billion to repair the sewerage and sanitation infrastructure destroyed by the recent floods.

Compiled by Vhahangwele Nemakonde