Municipality promises to fix sewage overflow

After numerous emails, phone calls and photographic evidence of a sewage overflow at The Block in Port Shepstone to Ugu District Municipality, and an article in the Herald, the municipality has responded with plans to rectify the problem.

The fishing community and senior officials from Ugu met at The Block on Tuesday last week, to discuss the matter which has been ongoing for over eight weeks.

According to Ugu, the first contributing factor to the sewage overflow is loadshedding. When the electricity is off, the pump station stops operating, resulting in the overflow.

Malibongwe Luswazi, the Area South Water Services manager, said the second contributing factor is that the sump at The Block pump station is due for a clean and flushing of pipelines.

Luswazi said it was last cleaned in 2021 and it’s usually cleaned every three years. He said that as a result of not being cleaned, the sump’s capacity is about to be reached.

“This overflow also indicates a blockage in the pipe system which is resulting in the overflow. Our short-term solution will be to bring in a jetting machine to flush the pipes and clean the sump. Another solution will be to get a generator for this pump station, however, this will not be a permanent solution.

“We have 11 other pump stations and bringing a generator to this one will mean that we will be taking the problem onto the next,” Luswazi added.

He said just like every other business or resident, loadshedding is a problem and the municipality will have to come up with a plan to purchase generators for all pump stations which requires a budget.

Luswazi said there is capital, however it won’t be sufficient. “We are looking at accumulating more funds in the next financial year, to purchase generators as loadshedding is not going anywhere.”

With regards to the trucks or tankers dumping at The Block, Luswazi said the trucks have been stopped from dumping for more than a weeek, and for the next three months no trucks will offload there.
He promised that in the next three to seven days the cleaning and flushing of The Block pump station and lines will be carried out.

The fishing community welcomed Luswazi’s response and requested that signage be erected on the beach, warning the public not to collect sea water or swim, until the issue is sorted. They also suggested that the affected area is blocked off, to ensure that no-one goes near the water.

Errol Peake, spokesperson for the fishing community said that they are glad to have finally met with Ugu officials and are looking forward to the promised progress.

Luswazi also urged the fishing community and the public to report trucks dumping sewage in rivers, as it is illegal.

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