EThekwini municipality closes Laguna Beach due to possible contamination, other beaches open
An aerial view of Durban beaches. The City has announced that Laguna Beach has been closed due to contamination.
Image: file
With the festive season mood in high gear, the eThekwini municipality has announced the temporary closure of Laguna Beach due to damaged infrastructure that has led to sewage contamination - the city's 22 other beaches are open.
Mayor Cyril Xaba on Monday announced the closure of Laguna Beach, saying the City had to suspend swimming and bathing at the beach as a precautionary measure while teams were busy addressing infrastructure issues that may have caused contamination.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, one of the key contributors to the influx of visitors to Durban this festive season is the reopening of almost all our beaches. For the first time since the 2022 floods, 22 of our 23 bathing beaches are open and safe for swimming. Only Laguna Beach remains temporarily closed as a precautionary measure while our teams address infrastructure issues that may cause contamination,” said Xaba.
Besides one beach closure, Xaba said everything is well under control, assuring swimmers that the City is fully transparent regarding beach water quality testing. He said where contamination is suspected, beaches are immediately closed to protect public safety.
“Under normal circumstances, water quality testing is conducted every two weeks. However, during the festive season, we have increased testing to weekly intervals to ensure maximum safety,” said Xaba.
The update was prompted by opposition parties in the municipality, whom Xaba accused of 'peddling misinformation about the state of beaches for political scoring'. He said the temporary closure of a beach due to water contamination is both lawful and necessary, adding that even the City of Cape Town recently closed Camps Bay Beach following a raw sewage spill, demonstrating that this standard practice happens across municipalities.
The mayor urged the public to view the beach water quality results on the City’s website, saying this information is also shared on social media platforms. The mayor further announced the City has committed over R1 billion in capital investment towards repairing and upgrading water and sanitation infrastructure, particularly wastewater treatment works and pump stations.
Buoyed by good numbers on December 16 holiday, Xaba said the City is on track to meet its target of 1,3 million visitors this year, with several signature events to boost numbers. The drawcard event will be the big new year's crossover fireworks festival which will take place on south beach next to the uShaka Marine World theme park.