Sewage crisis in Durban, Republic of South Africa

Problems

• Causes of the sewage crisis in Durban, Republic of South Africa

  Large numbers of businesses in eThekwini on South Africa’s eastern seaboard – which includes the port city of Durban – rely heavily on tourism. It’s a popular holiday destination, only six hours by road from Johannesburg. Millions of people living inland head to the warm coastline over the country’s extended December/January school holiday break. 
  
  But  many of the beaches along the Durban coastline aren’t safe to swim in. 
  
  Millions of liters of untreated human sewage is flowing into the rivers and seas of South Africa’s eastern city of Durban and surrounding coastline, threatening tourism and business in one of country’s most popular holiday spots.
  
  Causes of the sewage crisis:
  ● The state of the municipality, specifically in terms of its ability to provide informed water governance and reliable service delivery to its residents and businesses, has been declining at a steady rate over the past two decades. 
  ● The ageing water infrastructure has steadily decayed due to non-maintenance, lack of human capacity and financial resources, poor water governance and delayed – or no – action to address the deposition of sewage into various water courses such as the Umgeni River, and ultimately out to sea.
  ●  The floods damaged water infrastructure and wastewater treatment works, threatening water supply. After the floods, 80% of the drinking water network was out of order.
  ● The floods caused immense sewage pollution coinciding with another massive death of fish at the Umgeni River mouth. 
  ● E. coli be the primary culprit, with major effects on aquatic life and ecosystems.
  ● The failure of water infrastructure and wastewater treatment works has been an ongoing issue over the past two decades, escalating every year.
  ● Vandalism has led to breakdowns and non-functioning of pumps. Some sewage pump stations don’t have a second back-up pump. In the event of the first pump failing – or in the event of prolonged power outages or consistent escalating blackouts – sewage will overflow.
  ● Partially treated human waste was, and still is, being deposited into the Umgeni River from a municipal outlet pipe located close to wastewater treatment works.

• The health impact of the sewage crisis in Durban, Republic of South.

  There’s a growing risk of major human health hazards and risks, specifically cholera, hepatitis and other waterborne diseases transmitted via exposure to sewage bacteria and pathogens in affected rivers as well as the ocean.
  
  The very low level of compliance of microbiological quality, most are on a critical level. It affects public health and aquatic ecosystems.
  
  For the moment, the quality of potable water (drinking water) within the eThekwini municipality is acceptable, with 99% compliance. If compliance falls below 95%, and no precautions are taken, the increased concentrations of bacterial or pathogenic concentrations will lead to an increased risk of disease and possible outbreaks of waterborne diseases.