Cleaning and treatment of a sewage spill at Kings Beach are currently underway to reduce E. coli levels and address odour concerns.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has advised that the beach will remain closed for extensive repair work.
In a statement today, Friday 1 August, the Municipality explained that the sewage spill earlier this week occurred during heavy rains despite existing flow control measures and by-pass pumping in the harbour.
“Following heavy rainfall over the past weekend, a new spill occurred in the Kings Beach parking area, despite existing flow control measures and by-pass pumping in the harbour. The spill has since ceased as of Thursday 31 July,” the statement read.
However, with further rainfall anticipated in the coming days, the appointed contractor was instructed to deploy an additional by-pass pump to better manage the increased stormwater flow and help prevent further overflows.
“What was initially a point repair has since escalated into a more extensive intervention due to further collapse of the sewer line,” the statement continued.
The Municipality has since appointed a new contractor that is expected to complete the work within two to three weeks, provided no further collapses occur during excavation.
“Water quality testing is ongoing to determine when it will be safe to reopen the beach to the public. The Metro also understands the impact that these spillages have in the bigger value chain of the City’s economy, more especially tourism. We thank the public for their patience and cooperation and will continue to provide updates as work progresses.”
