Umhlanga beaches back in action after crucial pump station repairs

Umhlanga's beaches have been reopened to the public after the completion of repairs to a sewer pump station on Thursday. 

The eThekwini Municipality temporarily closed Bronze Beach and Umhlanga Main Beach following a pump station failure at the Ohlange Wastewater Pump Station.

The municipality stated that the failure was caused by objects obstructing the sewer infrastructure system. A video released by the municipality shows officials removing rags that had lodged inside the pump, leading to its breakdown. 

Bradley Singh, eThekwini ward councillor for Umhlanga, confirmed that the beaches were open, much to the delight of the tourism and hospitality stakeholders. 

“I am still concerned about the payment of money to subcontractors at the Umhlanga wastewater treatment works and the impact it would have on the upcoming days and weeks. It is peak season, and we can see the number of people increase along the promenade,” he said.  

Terri MacLarty, chairperson of the Umhlanga Ratepayers and Residents Association, said she was aware of the regular maintenance plan on the sewer lines that have an impact on the quality of seawater near the beaches.

“We understand that a lot of blame lies on the community who misuse the facilities by disposing of non-soluble waste into the system, but eThekwini is aware that this problem exists, and there needs to be public awareness and education. Umhlanga cannot afford to have beach closures during peak seasons, and so we appeal for the eThekwini Sanitation Department to do proactive maintenance to prevent these incidents,” she said.

At a recent eThekwini Executive Committee meeting, Sibusiso Vilane, the acting director of the Water and Sanitation Unit, explained that the eThekwini Water and Sanitation network operations festive season plan for Umhlanga included ensuring that all pump stations along the Umhlanga Promenade are operational and experiencing no overflows.

He stated that the plan includes provisions for diesel refilling and the removal of silt and screening at the pump stations.

Vilane explained that all pump stations are checked daily to remove debris and ensure that pumps are operational.

He said two additional blockage crews are operating in the Umhlanga precinct due to the influx of visitors. 

“The municipality plans to flush the line twice a week and perform proactive maintenance of the entire beachfront sewer line. Hotspots with restaurants will be flushed regularly in areas like Umhlanga, Florida Road, and Amanzimtoti. The municipality will also implement 24-hour monitoring of critical pump stations to be managed by the area manager,” he said.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za