Various beaches closed in eThekwini. Picture: iStock
High levels of Escherichia coli bacteria (E.coli) remain a problem at several coastal hotspots, causing the eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal to close various beaches.
Amid school holidays and the heat, the municipality this week released beach water quality results taken on 19 September, indicating 6 beaches scoring above 500 colony forming units (CFU).
According to the municipality, these are the Central and Southern beaches affected:
Of perhaps the biggest concern was Battery Beach which measured over 75 times more than the acceptable level.
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This is not the first time eThekwini has been forced to close some beaches due to poor water quality.
Earlier this year, the municipality closed all the beaches in the north and some in the southern region, due to heavy rainfall experienced in the areas.
The Umgababa Beach was the only beach that remained open in the south region.
The heavy rainfall affected the water quality of the beaches, which made the beaches unsafe for swimming.
“The closure of these beaches is due to damage caused by heavy rains on 13 January, which affected beach water quality in these regions. The heavy rain resulted in logs and other debris being washed into rivers and the sea,” it said.
In August 2022, the municipality closed various beaches with immediate effect after testing the quality of the water.
Some of the beaches closed are the same beaches that still troubles the city with the high levels of E.coli.
Furthermore, in June 2022, the municipality closed some beaches, saying 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.
“E.coli 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 party.
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