Authorities are trying to trace the source of a dark effluent that has seeped into the mouth of the Umlaas Canal in Durban.
|||eThekwini municipality officials have collected samples from the polluted mouth of the Umlaas Canal in Durban, but have yet to trace the source of the dark effluent which stained the sea at the weekend.
Responding to queries from The Mercury on Monday, Chris Fennemore, of the eThekwini Pollution and Environment branch, said his office received the first complaint about the pollution on Friday afternoon.
“Stagnant water was trapped behind litter in a small canal immediately north of the Umlaas Canal. A sample of this water was taken and is being analysed at our laboratories.”
Fennemore said potential pollution sources upstream were inspected on Friday, but no illegal discharges were found.
“At 10.20 this morning the site was re-inspected and it was found to be clean and the problem had passed.”
Asked what action would be taken, he said: “If the polluter is found, we will consider the evidence available and act accordingly.”
He urged people to report pollution to the toll-free 24-hour pollution complaint line 080 131 3013.
“The sooner an incident is reported, the more chance there is of locating the source,” he said.
A spokesman for the Sapref refinery told The Mercury that the company had not dumped any oil into the canal. - The Mercury