Durban has been hit with another sewage-related setback as the eThekwini Municipality confirmed the immediate closure of two Umhlanga beaches following a major failure at the Ohlange Wastewater Pump Station.
The shutdown couldn’t have come at a worse time, arriving just as tourism begins to surge ahead of the festive season.
While 21 of Durban’s 23 bathing beaches remain open, the closure of two of the city’s most visited northern beaches, Bronze Beach and Umhlanga Main Beach, is a significant blow.
Misuse of the sewer network causes beach closure in Durban
According to the Municipality, the pump station breakdown was not caused by mechanical failure but by residents’ continued misuse of the sewer system.
According to IOL, City teams released footage showing large bundles of rags, animal remains, and household rubbish being pulled from deep inside the pump machinery, the kinds of blockages that officials say are becoming alarmingly common.
“We strongly urge the public to dispose of waste responsibly,” it said, stressing that foreign objects are choking pumps and causing avoidable shutdowns.
Repairs underway
The Municipality said that emergency teams are currently working on the issue, by first removing inappropriate waste, declogging damaged pumps and stabilising wastewater flows to prevent further contamination
While the Ohlange Pump Station has historically struggled with flood damage and debris, officials say the latest blockage was entirely preventable.
Despite the setback, the Municipality says the city’s broader water quality data remains stable.
Over the past two years, most of Durban’s 23 bathing beaches have consistently met national safety standards, thanks in part to a multimillion-rand programme repairing pump stations, pipelines and electrical systems damaged in the 2022 and 2023 floods.
