UMHLANGA’S beaches have been closed due to a massive sewage leak. According to the Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct (UIP) a sewer pipe has burst on the rising main.
“The waste water and coastal engineering departments are on site attending to the problem as quickly as possible but note it is a significant pipe that has been affected. The UIP will provide more updates as they become available. The department has now closed off all valves into the main sewage pipe. However, in order for the repair work to take place, the pipe has to drain completely,” Cara Reilly of the UIP said.
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uMhlanga ward councillor, Heinz de Boer said he was disappointed with the City’s response time as the burst had been reported on Tuesday.
“The burst was reported yesterday and I was told the City only responded late on Tuesday evening. The response is not good enough and of course this is having an impact on tourism for the City. I have been in touch with the UIP and the burst on rising main sewage pipe is quite significant and this may take some time to repair. I’m glad the City’s waster water unit is responding to it now but there has to be a better response from them when it comes to environmental hazards like this,” he said.
The Northglen News has been inundated with calls from residents saying the leak was causing a stink on the promenade. One resident who spoke to newspaper anonymously said action should have been taken on Tuesday afternoon.
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“The lifesaving club had to put warning tape around the running sewage to warn people. The beaches should have been closed yesterday. Tourists and regular beach-goers were using the beach unaware of the health hazard flowing out of the pipe,” he said.
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