Durban - An environmental conservation organisation has sounded the alarm on the high E coli levels in Durban rivers, including the uMngeni River and Ohlanga River, and has called for the eThekwini Municipality to take action to curb the pollution.
High E coli levels have also been registered at two beaches, according to water sampling tests taken last month, Adopt-a-River said.
Experts have warned that the elevated E coli levels were likely to have a health impact on the public should they swim in contaminated water.
Director of environmental conservation organisation Adopt-a-River, Janet Simpkins, said the uMngeni River had been critically contaminated for some time, adding that the contaminations were no longer flood-related.
“We have seen a downward trend (of E coli levels) across the ‘Golden Mile’ beaches we usually sample, however, the two new uMhlanga sites are showing raised levels of E coli which is likely due to the Ohlanga River sewerage contamination,” she said. “The municipality knows when sewerage pump stations fail, they know where the run-off is likely to discharge and so should offer early warnings to the public if these happen to be close to beaches.”
Simpkins said since they could not offer exact E coli readings, as samples were taken over time, she urged the public to look at the readings for beaches over the sample period and see which had proven to be consistently safer.
“Organisers of water events and sport such as swimming, surfing and paddling have to decide whether to host events. This has an impact on livelihoods.”
Simpkins said Adopt-a-River, together with Talbot Laboratories, would continue with water sampling and would share results with the public.
“We hope this brings much-needed attention to our broken sewerage infrastructure and urge the national Water and Sanitation Department to pay attention so interventions can take place.”
Senior researcher for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Steven Weerts, said the city monitored and communicated levels of E coli at swimming beaches and should be doing the same for rivers in the city.
“E coli are bacteria that live in the stomachs of warm-blooded animals. They pass through faeces. High counts in water indicate likely sewage contamination, and possible exposure to other harmful bacteria and viruses.”
He added that E coli contamination in the uMngeni River arose from various sources, include sewage leaks and overflows because of damage caused by the floods to the city’s waste water treatment works, neighbouring informal settlements without access to proper sanitation and even livestock droppings. In an urban environment, human sewage was almost certainly the greatest source.
Weerts said most rivers in eThekwini were polluted and people shouldn’t drink from them.
He said the solution required strategic planning and investment in the waste water infrastructure.
“This should include considerations of anticipated climate change, as well as population growth and development.
“The population of eThekwini has increased over the years and the maintenance and growth in infrastructure needs to match the increased demand imposed by this population growth.”
Heinz de Boer, DA spokesperson on economic development, tourism and environmental affairs in KZN, said contamination of rivers was being downplayed by the government.
“The floods caused major damage, but even before the floods, we had issues with E coli contamination from the water works. It’s not only affecting the eThekwini Municipality, but many other municipalities. From north to south, it has had a negative impact on tourism.
“During a discussion in the provincial legislature it was discovered that R4 billion was required to fix damaged infrastructure which was continuously causing pollution. Nobody in government is talking about where the money to solve this problem is going to come from,” he said.
The municipality had not responded to questions sent yesterday at the time of publication, however in a weekly bulletin published on Monday, it said significant progress had been made to restore sewer pipes in areas where wastewater treatment plants and sanitation infrastructure were severely damaged by the April floods.
In the bulletin, head of the Water and Sanitation Unit Ednick Msweli said the unit was pleased with the progress being made on sewer repairs.
“Repairs to most areas are under way to ensure that sewer-related challenges are addressed. We are hopeful that these repairs will be completed as contractors are hard at work fast-tracking repairs to major sewer infrastructure,” said Msweli in the bulletin.
He said the river water quality had improved in some areas as minor infrastructural repairs had been completed but were still not at acceptable levels in some areas.
“While some of the beaches remain closed due to high levels of E coli, the city is working to provide interim solutions for sewer infrastructure repairs. A team of experts is conducting water tests on a regular basis to monitor E coli levels to ensure the water is of acceptable standards and is safe for public use.”