Hundreds of residents voiced their frustration at a public meeting on Saturday over the ongoing sewage crisis affecting the Umgeni River.

Residents also highlighted how the poor health of the river has led to an indefinite closure of several of Durban’s beaches due to poor water quality and high levels of E. coli.

Masses of fish were kill in the river and along its banks in recent months and this has sounded the alarm about the state of the river.

Worse still, raw sewage continues to flow into the river, and then into the sea, on a daily basis with the municipality citing non-functioning pump stations and the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works outlet pipe as major contributors.

The meeting, which was called by Ward 36 councillor Shontel de Boer, saw several members of the DA and David Wilson, a consultant to City’s Water and Sanitation department, address more than 150 people from across Durban.

“I’m overwhelmed by the number of people who attended this meeting, as it just shows how many residents are tired of this situation. We want to draw attention to the untreated sewage, effluent and other forms of pollution flowing into the Umgeni River. It has reached critical levels now and people are demanding answers. The general consensus is that another public meeting is needed to address concerns and questions raised in terms of how many pump stations are functioning alongside the river.

“Another point raised was how this has affected tourism and businesses primarily along the coastline. I’ve also spoken to residents who own B&Bs in the Umgeni Park area who have voiced their dissatisfaction over the current crisis. The foul odour and increase in mosquitoes is also of concern due to the sections where wastewater has accumulated,” De Boer said.

Local resident Belinda Hellerle made her thoughts clear on the situation and said she hopes pressure would force the municipality to act and fix the situation soon.

“As someone who cares deeply about the environment, it breaks my heart to see how the health of the river is affecting our wildlife. The murky bacteria-filled river has already killed hundreds of fish but so many people who rely on the river are at risk of water-borne diseases. The birds of prey are also at risk due to the water being so contaminated. This meeting shows that people are fed-up with the situation and are demanding an end to the sewage crisis,” she said.