Fisherman nearly loses his leg
Sewage is responsible for high microbial levels in the ocean which can cause human diseases.
LOCAL fisherman Alvin Fuhri, who recently cut his leg at ‘The Block’ in Port Shepstone, is lucky not to have had to have the limb amputated after he picked up a micro-organism infection.
Alvin told the Herald that while fishing, he noticed foul smelling, dirty water emptying from a pipeline into the sea. “Something must be done, or it will be too late,” said Mr Fuhri. “My doctor said that I was incredibly lucky, as I would have been an amputee today!”
Another fisherman said that the impact could be potentially disastrous. “Toxic pollutants in the ocean have considerable impact on plants and animals. This old sewerage line is either being used for sewage discharge or industrial effluent is being piped into the system,” he said.
The pipe in question is, in fact, an overflow pipe, for use in the event of a mechanical or electrical failure at pump station No. 1, which is situated next to the river mouth at Port Shepstone beachfront.
Ugu District Municipality’s spokesman, Sipho Khuzwayo, said that Ugu responded to the overflow problem at the pump station near the Mzimkhulu river as soon as it heard about it.
“The overflow was caused by a malfunctioning air valve, which has since been repaired. This pump station is not expected to have any overflows, except in the case of electrical breakdowns, which will be attended to swiftly when they occur,” said Mr Khuzwayo.
