Niyanta Singh-Maharaj and Thrivin Naidoo
Holidaymakers say they will steer clear of the beaches this festive season after ‘critical’ levels of E.coli were found at several Durban beaches this week.
According to eThekwini Municipality's website, sea water tested near the Umgeni river mouth by Talbot laboratory services on December 7, revealed an E.coli level of 24,196 cfu/100ml. Anything greater than 500 cfu/100ml is considered dangerous for human activity.
Since then, the Point, U-Shaka, North, South, Battery and the Country Club beaches have been closed and declared unsafe for swimming by the city because of the poor water quality.
The municipality, in a statement, attributed the poor water quality to the recent heavy rainfall, adding that the gravity of the problem was noted
"The joint sampling with independent laboratories is done once a week but it is in addition to the city’s regular monitoring and routine weekly testing across all its 23 bathing beaches. The beaches with poor’ water quality have been closed while re-sampling and monitoring of the beaches continue. The repairs and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure is also ongoing," the city said.
Amit Sewraj, of Pietermaritzburg, said he and his family always planned a trip to the beach during the festive season and were disappointed with the state of the beaches.
“We are really disappointed to hear about the high levels of E-coli in Durban’s beaches. We were looking forward to spending quality time by the ocean this holiday season. But it is a health risk. This will be the second year our family won’t be visiting the beach because of the poor water quality,” said Sewraj.
Karishma Rajkumar, of Effingham, said while the results were alarming, it was no surprise that the sea water quality was unsuitable.
“The recent water quality results in Durban are alarming. It’s sad that our beautiful beaches are not safe to enjoy this holiday season. Authorities need to address this issue urgently. But nothing gets done. It is really sad to see our beautiful city being degraded in this way. It was a family tradition to go to the beach during the holidays. It was a cheap and safe activity for us but not anymore. Many facilities that we have always enjoyed have been taken away by the pathetic people in charge of the city,” said Rajkumar.
Anisha Beharie, from Gauteng, who visits her family annually in Durban said her holiday plans were ruined.
“Our holiday plans in Durban are ruined due to the water quality issues. I can’t risk the health of my family. I hope the authorities take swift action to fix this. I am sure there are many others like us as well. We are thinking of cancelling our trip to Durban and going elsewhere. What’s the point in coming to Durban if we can’t even go to the beach?” asked Beharie.
Raymond Thomas, who lives on the Durban beachfront, said it was heart-breaking to see the on-going decay of the beachfront.
“It’s devastating for marine life and a blow to our coastal ecosystem. We need immediate solutions. It has been my greatest pleasure every morning to take a walk on the beach with my wife since we retired. We cannot even do that any longer. The authorities really need to do something urgently. We are tired of listening to people’s promises and lack of action. It really galls me that people are getting paid monthly to perform a task and are not doing so – yet they are going home with money and we, the people, have to suffer,” said Thomas.
Zanele Msimang, an informal trader on the beachfront, said the sad state of the beaches was affecting business.
“The water quality news is affecting our business. Tourists are cancelling bookings left and right. This is not just an environmental concern but an economic one too. This time of year is usually our busiest. It is just sad to see that hardly any people are coming here anymore. It spells trouble for us and for the city,” said Msimang.
Janet Simpkins, director for Adopt A River, has been working in tandem with Talbot laboratories and the municipality to conduct water testing every Thursday, said a follow-up test will be conducted today, December 13, as a safety precaution.
"Testing the water is not an exact science as the results vary, but there is a consistent pattern in the spike of E.coli levels after rainfall, which washes contaminated water from upstream rivers down to the sea," said Simpkins.
"As a general rule we would ask those using the beach to exercise a measure of discretion and caution, and refrain from entering the water after rainfall as these levels will continue to spike. Inclement weather is typical during the festive season."
Betty Rawheath, chairperson for the La Mercy Residents Action Group (LaMRAG), said the situation impacted KwaZulu-Natal as a primary tourist destination during the festive season.
"Right from Umhlanga, past Tongaat Beach, minimal people now use the beachfront for fear of infection," she said.
"There is little or no signage warning people of the potential dangers of E.coli,” she said.
Bobby Peek, the director of environmental justice group Groundwork, said that regular, transparent and consistent testing together with immediate publication should be a focus for eThekwini.
"Gathering of data is of utmost importance, and a delay in publication can lead to misleading information about which beaches are safe or not, hence the testing process should also be made public for commentary."
The South African Journal for Infectious Diseases stated that the primary method for contracting E.coli was ingestion of contaminated seawater.
Symptoms of E.coli infection can range from stomach cramps and diarrhoea, to severe fever and critical complications should a victim have a weakened immune system or predisposition to gut infections, such as younger or older people.
Ebrahim Patel, chair of Trade and Investment at the Minara Chamber of Commerce, said the closure of the beaches did not bode well for businesses and laid the blame squarely at the feet of the city management.
He said Durban, as a long-established premier domestic holiday destination, drew millions to its beaches each year.
“The sewer leaks, which are contributing to the high-levels of E.coli on the beaches may be the result of broken infrastructure but the root cause lies in the lack of leadership and direction from the City Hall to tackle the issue.
“The city has a vision of Durban being Africa’s most liveable City by 2030, yet its lack of strong leadership in tackling infrastructure issues has resulted in not just the high E-coli levels in our waters but also the sad state of our roads, urban decay in the city centre and poor enforcement of by-laws. We cannot be blaming the April 2022 floods after 18 months for all the potholes, sunken roads, burst water pipes and burst sewer pipes that are flowing into the storm water system.
“All of these impact on business in general and the investor confidence not just in our city but in the province as well. The current situation does not bode well for businesses, from the rickshaws, cultural item vendors on the beachfront to the hotels and food outlets, that rely on the December holiday trade to bolster their businesses,” said Patel.
He said city leaders must have an effective plan to address the issues over the short term with a permanent resolution to the crisis.