The Umhlathuzana River sewer network was damaged in the April 2022 floods. The eThekwini Municipality's wastewater network is still recovering after the floods caused widespread damage to sewer pipelines, manholes, and associated infrastructure.
Image: eThekwini Municipality
THE eThekwini Municipality's wastewater network is under severe strain due to infrastructure deterioration, illegal connections, and environmental factors, leading to critical public health risks.
The deterioration followed the April 2022 flood, which caused widespread damage to sewer pipelines, manholes, and associated infrastructure.
This was contained in a report on the operational status of sewer networks, to the eThekwini Executive Committee (Exco) on Tuesday, IOL reported.
Sibusiso Vilane, a senior official in the Water and Sanitation Unit Directorate, explained that progress has been made in accelerating storm damage repairs.
He said the system remains constrained and continues to experience operational challenges due to a combination of infrastructure, environmental, and social factors.
The report outlined that the network is further compromised by consumer abuse and misuse, including the disposal of inappropriate materials into the system.
The report added that illegal sewer connections and unregulated linkages to the municipal system have also increased the hydraulic and operational burden on the network, often resulting in blockages, overflows, and infrastructure failure.
“The network has been affected by theft and vandalism of sewer infrastructure, including manhole covers and pipeline components, exposing the system to blockages, infiltration, and safety risks,” Vilane said.
The report outlined that population growth and rapid urbanisation have also placed additional pressure on the sewer system, particularly in areas experiencing a rapid increase in informal settlements and high-density residential development.
Vilane said the situation is further exacerbated by the ageing condition of the sewer infrastructure, much of which has exceeded its original design life and requires rehabilitation or replacement.
“Sedimentation and siltation within sewer lines, particularly following flood events, have reduced hydraulic capacity and increased maintenance.”
Vilane pointed out that increased maintenance activities and response times, including sewer cleaning and blockage removal, are planned.
He said the municipality will monitor and address identified illegal connections. Also, there would be increased supervision and security in the hotspot areas.
He said additional funding sources through the Metro Trading Services Reform Programme will assist.
“A business and investment plan has been submitted to the National Treasury as part of the metro trading reform programme.”
Vilane said the municipality will continue sewer jetting and removal of silt deposits from affected sections of the network.
Concerning restaurants, the municipality will enforce the installation of fat traps by restaurant owners.
“There will be community engagement and enforcement measures to prevent misuse of sewer infrastructure. The department is developing an artificial intelligence-based service delivery monitoring tool. This is a pilot project for the remote monitoring of sewers in the CBD areas,” Vilane said.
The February 2026 report on the state of the Palmiet River Valley in KwaZulu-Natal water quality alert stated that the eThekwini rivers are in critical condition.
The report also pointed out that the September 2025 river health map was a wake-up call, with several rivers in critical condition.
Lee D’Eathe, a member of the Palmiet River Watch/Palmiet River Valley Conservancy, stated that water quality tests indicate extremely high E. coli levels, far exceeding the safe recreational limit of 400 cfu/100 ml.
For example, results recorded 7.27 million cfu/100 ml at Cherry Road (Pinetown Industrial area) on December 12, 2025.
“These findings confirm a continued and severe public health and environmental risk,” he said.