Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

EThekwini Coastline: Sewage Pollution Devastating for the Tourism Sector

Large areas of wastewater reticulation pipelines have been damaged, exacerbating the amount of untreated wastewater seeping into the ocean from South Africa’s third largest metro. Another concern is the amount of untreated chemical and domestic effluent that flows from various industries and businesses across this highly visited tourist destination.
Aerial view of a Water-Smart treatment plant with several rectangular basins in varying colors, one with swirling water. Sunlight casts shadows and highlights surrounding grass areas, reflecting innovative energy modelling strategies.

Table of Contents

When a water sample is found to contain E. coli higher than the South African regulatory general and special limits, beaches must be closed and sampled every day until concentrations fall below the threshold. Beaches often experience high bacterial loads after major rainstorms and land-based contaminants can quickly be transferred to the water.

Some locations are more vulnerable to contamination because of water circulation patterns, beach layout, surrounding land use or nearby storm water outfalls. It has been over two months after all Durban beaches were restricted, due to the tragic April floods making several sewage plants nonfunctional.

Large areas of wastewater reticulation pipelines have been damaged, exacerbating the amount of untreated wastewater seeping into the ocean from South Africa’s third largest metro. Another concern is the amount of untreated chemical and domestic effluent that flows from various industries and businesses across this highly visited tourist destination.

According to reports, the eThekwini Municipality has a minimum 27 wastewater treatment works, 289 sewer pump stations and more than 9,000km of wastewater pipelines supplying the city with the necessary services. Additionally, one in three of these essential treatment works have sustained major flood damage and an indeterminate amount are completely non-functional as a consequence of the floods.

We have been assisting utilities and protecting the environment by providing safe decentralized water and wastewater treatment emergency response solutions, which can be placed directly at the heart of the affected location for optimal service delivery. MEB uses a variety of advanced tools and technology innovations to preserve public health, water quality and mitigate the risks associated with wastewater pollution.

Want to know more about the variety of proven solutions in our portfolio? Speak to us today!

Share:

Case Study

A revolutionary approach to water supply

To cope with a crippling and prolonged drought crisis, MEB installed a containerized desalination plant at Richards Bay, South Africa. The project was completed in just seven months. The containers were easily transported to the designated location.1

More Posts

Related Posts