Residents of eThekwini have been enduring the foul stench of leaking sewer pipelines for several months, with no repair work in sight, they claim.

In Newlands East, a broken sewer pipeline next to a sports field has been spilling its contents into a stream that leads to the Umgeni River since it was reported on May 1, 2025, said residents of nearby Pufaro Place.

Allan Peterson, eThekwini Ward 11 councillor, conducted an oversight visit to the pipeline on July 8 to escalate the problem to senior officials in eThekwini.

“There is raw sewage flowing into the stream for 24 hours a day. The stream connects with the Umgeni River and flows out to the sea at Blue Lagoon. We hold the city manager and city officials accountable for resolving these issues. We believe it is a hazard and an environmental issue. Residents should not be living under these circumstances,” Peterson said.

One of the residents who wished to remain anonymous described the odour from the pipeline as terrible.

He also pointed out that scholar transport uses the area nearby to transfer school children into different minibus taxis daily.

The eThekwini Municipality did not respond to an email requesting to know what has caused a delay in repairing the pipeline.

In the south of Durban, Amanzimtoti residents were concerned about a sewer leak flowing into a servitude since February. Chantel Grove, a concerned resident, said she has multiple reference numbers, but the problem remains unresolved.

The Amanzimtoti eThekwini Ward 97 Facebook page also reported several other sewer leaks and complaints by residents of having to pay exorbitant rates for sanitation services not delivered.

Andre Beetge, DA ward councillor and member of the eThekwini Executive Committee, said a supervisor from the department walked the pipeline to find the possible fault on Tuesday.

Beetge explained that the majority of sewage outfall can be avoided if users act more responsibly.

In response to the claims made by residents in Amanzimtoti, Beetge said blockages are not necessarily caused by failing or collapsed infrastructure, but instead by foreign objects finding their way into the system. These include rags, towels, sheets, nappies, condoms, sanitary pads, hard paper, or mop head strands that wrap around pump shafts, causing them to shear.

“The system is designed to transfer human waste along with dissolvable paper, not kitchen towels or the mega rolls often found at garages. The system is also not designed to transfer fat, as oil discarded down the drain solidifies once it meets with water that often collects hair, resulting in hairballs clogging the system,” Beetge explained.

He added that the fat in pipelines also contaminates float levels within pump station sumps, which in turn, implicates pump functionality, resulting in sewage outfall.

He advised residents not to report sewage leaks repeatedly, but rather retain the original reporting reference and follow up on the progress, as each new reporting falls to the bottom of the queue and could result in the original report reference being closed.

“Follow up on progress using the official municipal platforms by downloading the eThekwini Municipal app and refrain from seeking assistance from community groups, or social media platforms that are not monitored by the municipality,” Beetge advised.

zainul.dawood@inl.co.za

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