How cable theft and a damaged sewer pipe led to a fish kill in Isiphingo estuary
A damaged wastewater pipe on Prospecton Road, compounded by a cable theft incident at the Isiphingo Beach wastewater pump station, led to the death of hundreds of fish in a nearby estuary.
On Wednesday, January 28, eThekwini Ward 90 Councillor Shad Nowbuth reported that the estuary and the Isiphingo River mouth, south of Durban, were contaminated with sewage.
He captured images of dead fish along the riverbank.
Nowbuth stated that the fish had been removed from the estuary by Tuesday, February 3. He also inspected the Isiphingo River mouth and the Isiphingo Beach shores to check for pollution.
eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Gugu Sisilana stated that the damage to the rising main and cable theft led to the fish mortality incident.
She said the cable theft affected the normal operation of the wastewater system and contributed to the pollution observed in the estuary. She said that repairs to the damaged rising main have since been completed, and all affected wastewater pump stations are now fully operational.
“The city acted swiftly to contain and mitigate the impact. Immediate measures included isolating the affected infrastructure to enable repairs, deploying vacuum tankers around the clock to manage wastewater flows, and introducing chemical dosing as an interim measure to reduce environmental harm,” Sisilana stated.
In response to the cable theft, technical teams were dispatched immediately to restore functionality at the pump station.
Sisilana said that clean-up operations were also undertaken, including the removal of dead fish and the implementation of ongoing environmental monitoring.
Nowbuth said an inspection was done of the pump station in Beach Road, and information provided by the supervisor was that the wastewater pumps were functioning optimally.
“There was a challenge in retrieving dead fish, which were lodged in the mangrove swamps. Nevertheless, they were committed to clean up the area, including dead fish that were out of reach further out in the river,” he stated.
Hannah Lidgett, MPL – DA KZN spokesperson on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, said that an inspection revealed that an entire stretch of the river had turned black, with large numbers of dead fish floating in the water and a pervasive, unbearable stench caused by raw sewage and rotting fish.
“Upon engagement with eThekwini Municipality, it was alleged that a construction company had damaged a major sewer pipeline, resulting in the spill,” she stated.
Lidgett noted that mangrove ecosystems along the river have been affected by the repeated sewage spills.
She stated that mangroves are critical for biodiversity, water filtration, and coastal protection.
“The impact on these sensitive ecosystems raises urgent questions around environmental safeguards and enforcement. Such river spillages also have a direct knock-on effect, often leading to beach closures and negatively impacting tourism along KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline.”
zainul.dawood@inl.co.za
