Residents question eThekwini’s response to long-running Durban sewer failure

Raw sewage spills onto a railway line running through Merebank, south of Durban, leaving a foul stench and frustrating residents for months.

Image: Leon Lestrade/Independent Media archives

Disgruntled Merebank residents are urging the eThekwini Municipality to repair a broken sewer pipeline beneath the M4 freeway, affecting residents and workers in the surrounding area.

Raven Naidoo, a concerned resident, said raw sewage continues to flow between the railway tracks below the M4 beneath the Himalayas Road Bridge in Merebank. Naidoo reported the matter to the municipality’s Area-Based Management, which referred it to the relevant municipal departments for investigation and rectification.

Problem continues despite inspection

Naidoo said pictures taken on July 1 showed sewage had spread for more than 150 metres along Clairwood Logistics Park and Barrackpur Road.

Residents were informed that a winch was requested, followed by a tractor-loader backhoe (TLB) to fix the leak. Municipal teams inspected locations along Basil February Road, Krishna Rabilal Road, Himalayas Road and Barrackpur Road while attempting to locate the blockage.

“Despite these efforts, the problem has continued. In August, contractors excavated alongside Lansdowne Road, but sewage is still flowing. Merebank residents continue to endure the foul stench of raw sewage and an abundance of mosquitoes. Residents have repeatedly complained about the infestation and the conditions in which they are being forced to live,” Naidoo said.

Naidoo argued that residents and ratepayers cannot be expected to report the same problem repeatedly while teams inspect different locations, contractors excavate roads, and the sewage continues to flow.

He was also concerned about public health and environmental conditions. He said the municipality has a responsibility to maintain sewage infrastructure and urgently investigate and resolve serious failures. Naidoo said the situation demands urgent intervention and accountability.

Repairs undertaken

On Friday, the municipality said technical teams were on the ground and attending to the leak. The municipality stated that extensive excavation, over four meters deep, was completed to enable the repairs.

According to the municipality, the 400mm diameter sewer line has been repaired, and teams are now busy constructing the new manhole. Municipal teams have also started cleaning the railway side and affected areas.

In Reservoir Hills, a source said raw sewerage was flowing into a business premises on Siripat Road for months. The source alleged that municipal teams inspected the pipeline, but due to the unavailability of money to replace the pipe, they turned the pipe around so the sewerage won't flow onto the ground.

Raw sewerage was flowing out of this pipeline in Reservoir Hills. It is alleged that eThekwini Municipality teams turned the pipe around, with the crack ontop, to avoid any spillages.

Image: Supplied/Reservoir Hills ratepayer

Billions of rands needed to fix pipes

Dr Jack Bloom, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation (DWS), conducted a two-day oversight visit to Durban on August 20 and 21. He said the visits placed water and sanitation service delivery, environmental protection and accountability firmly under the spotlight.

Recently, the municipality reported that it needs an estimated R4.6 billion to refurbish all Wastewater Treatment Works to meet Green Drop compliance standards.

The acting director of eThekwini Water and Sanitation, Sibusiso Vilane, spoke on the status of sanitation services during a recent eThekwini Executive (Exco) meeting and reported that, as of the end of June 2026, the directorate had achieved 46% wastewater Green Drop compliance against an annual target of 90%.

The Water and Sanitation Department-run Green Drop Certification programme grades municipal sewage treatment plants, networks, and pump stations for wastewater management.

The story has been updated to include the municipality's comment.

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