ETHEKWINI Municipality has confirmed that the recent fish kill incident that occurred in the Isipingo River was caused by sewage that flowed into the river after damage to a major wastewater rising main along Prospecton Road, compounded by a cable theft incident at a nearby wastewater pump station.

Also read: [PHOTOS] Fish kill in little Toti River

During an oversight to the scene by Ward 90 councillor Shad Nowbuth, DA Durban South constituency head André Beetge, member of Parliament Hannah Lidgett, and member of the provincial Legislature Martin Meyer on February 3, an inspection revealed that an entire stretch of the river has turned black, with large numbers of dead fish floating in the water and a pervasive, unbearable stench caused by raw sewage and rotting fish. Lidgett said that upon engagement with eThekwini Municipality, it was alleged that a construction company had damaged a major sewer pipeline, resulting in the spill.

“Residents confirmed that this is the third major fish kill to occur in the Isipingo River. This raises serious concerns about environmental degradation and public health risks. Community members also expressed fears for their well-being due to the persistent pollution and claimed that some individuals are collecting dead fish from the river to sell, further endangering unsuspecting consumers,” said Lidgett.

In 2022, a fish kill incident occurred after a nearby wastewater pump station failed. In 2023, a suspected chemical spill from nearby factories led to thousands of fish dying.

Also read: Sewage outfall in Isipingo attended to

eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said after the incident was reported, the City acted swiftly to contain and mitigate the impact.

“Immediate measures included isolating the affected infrastructure to enable repairs, deploying vacuum tankers around the clock to manage wastewater flows, and introducing chemical dosing as an interim measure to reduce environmental harm. Repairs to the damaged rising main have since been completed, and all affected wastewater pump stations are now fully operational,” said Sisilana.

She added that in response to the cable theft, technical teams were dispatched to restore functionality at the pump station, and clean-up operations followed to remove dead fish, and there was implementation of ongoing environmental monitoring.

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