eThekwini Municipality blamed the collapse of a sewer manhole as the reason for the continued sewage pollution of Umbogintwini River.
However, local golfers found a broken sewer pipe under the Kingsway bridge adjacent to the Amanzimtoti Country Club (ACC) and Conservancy pumping sewage straight into the river.
Last week the Sun reported that ACC members and residents are up in arms over the municipality's continued lack of action, after they complained about the pollution more than four weeks ago.
“The sewage pollution in the river is due to the major washaway of a sewer manhole that is the convergence point of three trunk sewers from Umlazi,” said eThekwini head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa.
This after the municipality's pollution department said to complainant Gill Symons there were no visible signs of sewage in the river and nothing conclusive could be determined from samples taken.
ACC chairman, Dave Richardson was also informed by the municipality that the levels of E.coli were 'acceptable' in the river.
“We are currently exercising our Emergency Works Policy and are busy with the reconstruction of the manhole,” said Mthethwa.
“The municipality is monitoring the pollution downstream and will be carrying out remediation where necessary.
The health department will check the pollution levels and decide if it is necessary to erect health warning signs.”
Erecting warning signs may be a little too late, as a local golfer, who did not wish to be named, said it looked like the broken sewer line “obviously has been like that for quite a while”.
While playing a round of golf of Sunday, 23 November, the golfers said: “The river stank and we heard water rushing, so went to investigate and found the damaged pipe.”
The problem has been reported to the municipality.
