By Nangamso Mabindla
8 June 2004

THREE East London beaches are to be closed for about four days from 21 June while the Buffalo City municipality repairs a broken suction valve in the pump station at the East Bank treatment works.

According to the City's manager for sewerage services, Johan Koekemoer, the incoming sewage to the pump station will be released into the sea at a point between the Blind River and Nahoon Beach while repairs are being done. "We will be closing off the Nahoon, Eastern and Orient beaches as a precaution," he said.

Koekemoer assured residents that environmentalists had been consulted and that precautions were being taken to ensure that the marine life will not be harmed.

"The broken valve in the pump station needs to be replaced," Koekemoer said, explaining that the repairs are expected to take four days. According to Koekemoer, the valve, which had a projected lifespan of 10 years, was 17 years old.

While work was being done, incoming sewage had to be stopped and diverted to the sea. "If we don't do that we will be flooded by incoming water," said Koekemoer.

The water released into the sea will amount to 23 million litres a day - "the equivalent of a swimming pool the size of a rugby stadium", Koekemoer said.

No effluent would be emptied into the sea, Koekemoer said, adding that chicken mesh had been placed over the outlet pipe so that only water will flow into the ocean. A test run of the temporary system will be conducted on 17 June, ahead of the repair project.

The public has been asked not to approach the spill area during the operation. "After the spill the beaches will be re-opened - but only when the sea water quality has been proven to be acceptable for recreational use," said Koekemoer.