By Nangamso Mabindla
23 May 2005

THE degraded concrete in the wet sumps at the city's pump station in Nahoon has been successfully reconstructed and renewed. To solve the problem, the Buffalo City municipality had to dip into its emergency funds, using R700 000.

"When we did some repair work on the city's pump station last year we discovered that all concrete surfaces above the full supply level of the sumps were in an advanced state of degradation," said the City's communications manager, Darby Gounden adding that this was caused by acids generated from the gases released from the sewerage in the sumps.

These acids eroded the 250-millimeter thick side walls of the influent launder to the sumps, leaving holes in the wall. "We had to take safety measures and reconstruction was the obvious option," she said.

As a precaution Eastern Beach and Nahoon Beach were closed for the duration of the spillage but they have been reopened for public use.

Mark Westerberg, from the City's sewage department, said the reconstruction was successful. "We were able to work on the sump while keeping the pump station working, so there was no disturbance for residents during the process."

Unfortunately, to carry out the repairs on Sump 1 and 2 successfully, an estimated 10-million litres of effluent had to be dumped into the sea. Gounden said the spill was necessary to be able to complete the reconstruction.

When more funds became available, the City would undertake permanent repairs on Sump 3. It is now waiting for a lab report on whether the spillage harmed marine life.