Durban - The eThekwini Municipality has reminded the public that all beaches remain closed until further notice due to high levels of E.coli.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the municipality decided to close the beaches because of high levels of E. coli in the water following recent floods.
“All water activities are prohibited.”
“Beachgoers are urged to heed this warning unwaveringly because disregarding it could result in outbreaks of water-borne diseases that may be fatal,” Mayisela said.
He said residents could still enjoy other activities along the beach that did not need any contact with seawater.
“Teams are hard at work fixing water and sanitation infrastructure that was damaged by heavy rains. eThekwini is pleased to announce that huge progress is being made daily in this regard,” Mayisela explained.
He said water tests were carried out daily, and the public would be apprised once E.coli levels decreased to acceptable standards.
“The city apologises for the inconvenience,” Mayisela said.
On Wednesday, IOL reported that Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sipho Hlomuka said that most water resources (rivers) in eThekwini District had been found to have a significantly high percentage of water contaminants (mainly E.Coli from faeces) due to raw sewer spillages owing to water treatment works infrastructure damages.
“We are appealing to communities to exercise extreme caution when dealing with water from rivers,” he said.
Water-borne diseases include cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid, hepatitis and gastroenteritis, to mention a few.
Meanwhile, volunteers and organisations are still picking up litter that has been spat out by the sea along the Durban coast.
Daily News