Sewage halts beach activities
Pump failure leads to contamination as City aims to fix problem by Monday
THE sewage pouring into the Durban harbour could follow the path that nurdles travelled into the ocean.
“The sewage and other debris will likely be moved the same way as the nurdles, to the north and to the south, moved by the winds and the currents,” ushaka Sea World education director Jone Porter said.
She expected it to have a significant impact on marine life in spite of being diluted in seawater.
“It will bring about a lack of oxygen as well as heavy bacterial and viral loads.”
The failure of a number of pumps at the Mahatma Gandhi Pump Station, which has led to about 720 000 litres of sewage flowing into the bay, has had a devastating effect on local recreation, international yachting and harbour diving.
Edward Gregory, CEO of Accelerate Sport, the event organisers for the cancelled Zig Zag Durban Surf Pro competition, scheduled to have started yesterday, said parties involved had taken a “big hit”.
“We have flown in photographers and commentators,” he said.
“Durban people have given up their time, even taken leave, to play roles such as judges.
“We can recoup some funds. There are certain protocols that allow for that. But we shall have to look at how we can put on another event to keep us on the Durban events calendar.”
Gregory estimated that the 150 surfers involved would have brought R600 000 to tourism coffers.
Greg de Beyer, commodore of Point Yacht Club whose property is alongside the sarcastically-named Lavender Creek, through which sewage is pouring into the bay at a rate of around 720 000 litres an hour, said the accident was “hurting us tremendously”.
Food is no longer being served at the club because of the risk of contamination and business had taken a subsequent knock, he said.
“Yachties” in the ocean who had been heading for Durban’s marina were now looking to call in at Richards Bay or sail on to Cape Town. Paddling events on the harbour had also been cancelled, he said.
“Ski boat fishermen who used the spillway may no longer do so as they must wade into the water.”
The blue flag at ushaka Beach came down as soon as word of the spill reached the authorities. A notice, in chalk, advised: “No bathing, due to polluted water or water contamination.”
Elsewhere in the harbour, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has suspended all diving operations within the Port of Durban and has prohibited all angling activities.
“TNPA’S environmental department is engaging with the municipality and is appealing to port users for their co-operation as the City acts to repair the pumps,” said TNPA spokesperson Ayanda Somagaca.
“In particular the suspension of diving will have an impact on companies using the repair quays within the port’s ship repair precinct.”
The city said it would be fixed by Monday. “An investigation into the matter by Water and Sanitation has identified the main cause of the pump failures is the failure of the mechanical rakes at the entrance to the pump station, allowing an ever-increasing amount of foreign objects to enter the pumping system,” said municipal spokesman Msawakhe Mayisela.
“This resulted in the pumps tripping and failing mechanically. The mechanical rakes have been repaired.”
He added that it was due to the foreign objects entering the pumps that the pumps became imbalanced and the consequential vibration caused them to fail.
“The pumps are fully imported and consequently their spare parts are not available locally which has caused a delay in repairing them.
“The Municipality is embarking on a process to dose the overflow and aerate the polluted area until the repaired pump is reinstalled and the spill averted.”
ushaka Sea World’s Porter said there was a huge need for people to work together to “come up with a plan”. She stressed that the bay was not only a port but also a significant natural estuary system.
“(Estuaries) play a really important role in terms of being nurseries, for a whole host of living things, from tiny things to brindle bass and sharks.”