Three weeks after it became aware of a sewage leak affecting the Mbokodweni River, the city has issued an alert for people not to drink the water.
“Due to a power failure that affected the Amanzimtoti Wastewater Treatment Works, which resulted in partially treated sewage (being) discharged into the Mbokodweni River, the public is warned not to swim, bathe, fish or drink the water in the Mbokodweni River downstream of the Amanzimtoti Wastewater Treatment Works,” said eThekwini Municipality’s communications head, Tozi Mthethwa in a statement dated 10 April.
“However, tap water is safe to drink.
The municipality has managed to restore the power to the works and is testing the river water quality until the wastewater treatment process recovers completely.”
Sewage was pumped into the river for more than a week after a transformer failure at the works.
Chairman of Amanzimtoti Country Club, Dave Richardson contacted the municipality on Friday, 20 March to complain about the smell emanating from the river, which runs through the golf course. He was informed a week later by a municipal official that due to load shedding, the main transformer had blown at the pumpstation and sewage would be pumped into the river until the matter was resolved.
