Water quality improves in Durban Port
SEVERAL beaches along the Durban coastline were closed when E. coli was recently discovered in the water.
This followed several sewage spills last year, including a massive spill in November when raw sewage spilled into Lavender Creek in Durban Harbour, leaving the water discolored while a strong smell wafted over the Point Yacht Club shipyard.
At the time (November 9), eThekwini Municipality released a statement saying the sewage spill resulted from a complication at the Mahatma Gandhi pumping station, which was flooded after load shedding damaged pumping equipment. While repairs to the pumping station were completed on November 11, sewage leaks continued into the past week. This time, the city said work has begun to install a new transformer at the Johanna Road sewage pumping station.
Speaking to the Berea Mail, the city said: ‘Work is currently underway and the electricity unit needs to install a new substation. The City is working to have the station begin operations as soon as possible. »
Also read: Two beaches remain closed as others open with immediate effect
Local impact
While ongoing sewage leaks have caused a stink at Durban harbour, Point Yacht Club operations manager Garreth Riddle says water conditions have since improved. While he still sees trash flowing into Lavender Creek, Riddle said there was an improvement in water quality after the pumps were replaced in early December.
“It seems to be good most of the time. Sometimes we get this cloudy white residue. It happened this morning (January 17) with the change in the tides, but we no longer see the raw sewage coming out,” he said.
“The sewage leak affected us a lot, along with the smell. We had to cancel many events due to the state of the water. Obviously this affected our restaurant and bar. Club members don’t want to come here with the smell and health hazard. It affected us in the long run,” Riddle said.
Although conditions have improved, he said the coast was not completely clear.
“We still have a problem with the smell in the silt. We will always have this problem until the city comes to fix it. It’s a problem because I don’t know how toxic the soil is and if it can even be worked. It’s also a big problem,” he said.
Also read: Sand artists are ‘digging deep’ during beach closure
Events to come
As conditions improve, the Point Yacht Club will resume its Wednesday Night Sailing Series tits.
“Anyone can join. If they don’t have a boat, they can let us know in advance and we can find them a crew to join. Spectators are also welcome to come and enjoy the music, food and festivities,” he said.
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