AFTER the closure of several Durban beaches, river conservationists have called for a formal investigation into the contamination of the Umgeni River.
Two weeks ago, various roleplayers raised the alarm over the discolouration of the river, which had a murky black discharge in it.
Blue Lagoon Beach, which is still closed, was one of five Durban beaches that were initially closed due to high levels of E. coli found after water quality tests.
Janet Simpkins, the founder and director of non-profit organisation (NPO), Adopt-a-River, said she remains concerned over the discolouration.
She said it poses a threat to wildlife, tourism, fisherfolk, paddlers and staff who clean the banks of the river.
Related story: WATCH: Durban North conservationist concerned over ‘murky discharge’ in Umgeni River
“The City has acknowledged major issues over the pump station at Johanna Road, which is a problem. However, from what we’ve seen, this discharge seems to be emanating from Durban’s Northern Waste Water Treatment Works outfall pipe. A water sample taken at the outfall pipe, which discharges supposedly treated waste water into the Lower Umgeni River, returned a shock reading of 1.986 million parts of E. coli coliform units per 100 ml,” Simpkins said.
She added that the Oceans Alive Conservation Trust has sponsored a full range of water tests at the same point.
“The results from the tests we’ve conducted reveal that the health of the lower Umgeni River, in particular, is at a critical level. We are calling for a formal enquiry into the management decisions around the sewage contamination of the lower Umgeni River and central beaches over the holidays and demand that the relevant city officials be held accountable,” Simpkins said.
While the eThekwini Municipality did not comment on the discharge seen at the outfall pipe, the municipality’s spokesperson, Msawakhe Mayisela, said the City was doing everything in its power to ensure that all beaches are safe for public use.
Also Read: Full steam ahead as teams tackle Ohlanga River clean-up operation
Mayisela said the high levels of the E. coli bacteria were compounded by the vandalism of one of the city’s sewage pump stations on Johanna Road in Kenville.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za)
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram