Foul river water closes beaches
DURBAN beaches have been closed twice this week, first for a murky substance in the umgeni River and now for levels but the ethekwini Municipality remained composed about losing its blue flag statuses.
On Wednesday the municipality closed seven Durban beaches after the “umgeni River discharged abnormal murky waters to beaches”.
They were the North, Bay of Plenty, Battery, Country Club 1 and 2, ethekwini and Laguna beaches.
A day later the decision was reversed as test results showed the discharge was caused by hyacinth plants upriver, which often occurred during summer.
Msawakhe Mayisela, ethekwini municipality’s spokesperson, said the plants naturally occurred and the tests revealed the water was free of any pollution “that may pose threat to life”.
According to environmentalist Kuben Samie, hyacinths are water weeds with no known associated toxicity.
“Interestingly, the invasion of hyacinth is due to the sewage or nutrient pollution of the river system.
“This has happened upstream in Inanda Dam.
“It thrives on nutrient-rich water, mostly as a result of sewage pollution.”
However, the municipality indefinitely closed their beaches once again on Friday but this time it was over high levels of – bacteria often found in sewage.
They were South, North, Bay of Plenty, Sun Coast Beach, Country Club and umgeni Beaches.
Mayisela said the levels of the bacteria were compounded by the unceasing vandalism of one of the City’s sewerage pump stations and abnormal heavy rains that were washing waste from multitudes of informal settlements along the umgeni river to the river. Ward councillor Rory Mcpherson said the hyacinth closure was confusing, but once he learnt about the second closure and that the plants thrived when there was pollution, he was not surprised.
“Where there is smoke there will always be fire,” Mcpherson said.
“It is an unfortunate turn of events that should be resolved.”
Janet Simpkins, the director of Adopt-a-river, said the health of the umgeni River had always been a concern.
“Water samples have been taken that we have given to the municipality. While the river has had extremely high
levels, our concern was the threat it could have on wildlife, fisherfolk and paddlers.”
Meanwhile, Mayisela said the closure of beaches would always have a devastating impact on economic prospects but they did their best at the moment to address and resolve concerns.