Umkomaas sewage spill causes a stink

UMKOMAAS residents and those using the beach are up in arms following the overflow of sewage from a drain in Moodie Street.

For almost two weeks, they said, sewage has been spilling from the drain into the parking lot. Such is the scale of the problem that the beachfront has now also been contaminated.

Julia Moonsamy expressed her disappointment at eThekwini Municipality’s Water and Sanitation Department.

The department, she said, had failed to take action despite her reporting the problem when it first arose after the initial repair more than a year ago.

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According to Ms Moonsamy, who regularly jogs along this stretch of beach, the drain had a ‘bad reputation’ in town.

“This is not the first time this has happened and we often have to beg eThekwini to come and fix the problem. It takes them months to actually see to it and meanwhile, we have to deal with the smell. I live nearby and cannot stand to cook, let alone eat, when the wind blows in this direction.”

Pieces of toilet paper had collected around the edges of the drain and could be seen flowing down Moodie Street towards the beach when the Mail visited the site.

An employee at a nearby hotel said that they too had contacted eThekwini Municipality, but added that he had not seen anyone arrive on site to sort out the problem.

eThekwini Municipality was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of going to print.

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