From rags to carcasses: The mess that forced the closure of two Umhlanga beaches
‘Foreign objects’ force emergency shutdown at popular beaches — City probes source.
Image: Supplied
The eThekwini Municipality has been forced to close Bronze Beach and Umhlanga Main Beach after a critical pump station failure sent wastewater concerns surging back into the spotlight.
The breakdown at the Ohlange Wastewater Pump Station, officials say, was triggered not by mechanical faults but by residents’ continued misuse of the city’s sewer network.
The Municipality said the failures were the direct result of “the abuse of sewer infrastructure, with foreign objects obstructing the system.”
A video released by the City shows workers pulling out dense bundles of rags lodged deep inside the pump machinery.
These objects, along with animal carcasses and assorted household waste are now at the centre of a growing frustration among officials who say they are fighting a preventable crisis.
Remedial work is underway, including the removal of inappropriate waste and the declogging of the damaged pumps.
While 21 beaches remain open and safe for swimming, the closures at two of Durban’s most popular holiday spots come as tourism activity begins to pick up ahead of the festive season.
The Municipality used the incident to renew its plea for residents to stop dumping rubbish into the sewer network.
“We strongly urge the public to dispose of waste responsibly,” it said, warning that reckless disposal “directly undermines sewer infrastructure, disrupts services, and negatively affects the environment.”
Officials also stressed that, despite the latest setback, beach water quality had been largely stable across the city.
“It is important to note that over the past two years, the vast majority of the 23 bathing beaches have consistently met safe water quality standards,” the City said, attributing this to a multimillion-rand programme to repair and upgrade infrastructure damaged by repeated flooding in recent years.
The Municipality also urged the public to rely on science-based updates rather than sporadic independent sampling.
“For verified and credible information, the public is encouraged to rely on official communication from the Municipality,” it said, adding that its accredited laboratory tests beach water quality year-round according to international standards.
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