eThekwini ramping up efforts to address E.coli at beaches
The eThekwini Municipality says its scientists and experts have ramped up their efforts to address the stubbornly high E.coli levels at some of the city’s beaches.
Last week, the poor quality of the water led to a temporary ban on surfing at Bronze Beach in uMhlanga.
The ban was put in place after samples taken by the city's Water and Sanitation Unit detected critically high E.coli levels - due to what eThekwini describes as pump station overflow.
The eThekwini Municipality says 90% of the pump station’s overflow and blockages are due to vandalism, illegal connections and the disposal of foreign objects into the system.
READ: E.coli risks can no longer be ignored, warns ActionSA
It says while the Water Department regularly attends to these issues, it is struggling to keep up due to the sheer number of blockages.
The city’s urged residents to refrain from flushing foreign materials, such as sanitary towels, oil and rags to prevent blockages.
