Jan Soer from Palm Beach, who has lived in the area for almost 20 years, has over the last few years watched the shoreline closely from his deck and has noticed a long bubbly and sometimes “brown stretch”, which is regularly visible behind the breaking waves.

“This is nothing less than raw sewage. The source of this sewage problem is well-known to many Palm Beach residents, namely, the out-of-order sewer pump station in Houlton Drive, next to the “Shad Rock” fishing spot.”

According to Soer, the sewage that is collected in the waterborne system in Palm Beach, which runs parallel to Houlton Drive, is not pumping the sewage to the sewer plant higher up next to the Mpenjati River.

He believes this problem was reported to Ugu and Ray Nkonyeni Municipalities on a number of occasions over the years, with little or no response.

Furthermore, as the doors to the pump house are open, he conducted an inspection.

“I was shocked to see the poor condition of the building as well as the pump equipment.”

He added that the outside fencing was non-existent; two rusted steel doors to close the pump house were standing open; the electrical switch box was rusted; the basement housing the pump stood in raw sewage; and overgrown grass surrounds the building.

Also, a pool or reservoir on the sea side of the pump house is several metres deep and smelly. “It looks like raw sewage filters down from the reservoir on to the beach. This must be the source of the “bubbly sewer streak” which I see regularly in the sea.”

Soer said the municipalities must take responsibility for this unbearable situation which has left the shoreline with raw sewage and has made it impossible to enjoy. “This is not only unacceptable, but unlawful according to environmental laws.”

Ugu District Municipality spokesperson Zimbini Mpurwana said that the Green Heart Pump Station forms part of the municipality’s wastewater collection and transfer network.

The station receives wastewater from the Palm Beach area and transfers it through the sewer reticulation system for treatment at the Palm Beach Wastewater Treatment Works.

“During routine inspections conducted on May 27, technical teams identified mechanical and electrical failures affecting pumping equipment within the station. Immediate measures were implemented to minimise operational risks and maintain system functionality while repairs were being undertaken,” said Mpurwana.

She added that as part of these interventions the mechanical and electrical teams were mobilised to assess the extent of the failure and initiate repairs.

Vacuum Tanker Services were deployed as a temporary mitigation measure to manage flows and reduce the risk of overflows while repairs were under way.

Replacement components and equipment were procured and installation work was scheduled as part of the recovery plan.

Ongoing monitoring was implemented to ensure the integrity of the wastewater system during the repair period.

Mpurwana added with regards to allegations of sewage pollution affecting the shoreline, such reports of potential environmental impacts are taken seriously.

“Assessments are conducted based on available operational data, site inspections and environmental monitoring information to determine the source and extent of any reported incidents.”

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