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With just weeks to go before holiday-makers descend on KwaZulu-Natal for the festive season, several beaches around Durban – a favourite spot for locals and tourists alike – are showing ‘poor water quality,’ with two already shut to the public.

High levels of Enterococcus and E. coli bacteria are still causing headaches along KZN’s southern coast, forcing eThekwini municipality to keep certain beaches off-limits. According to water quality checks from 19 September, six beaches had E. coli readings above 500 colony-forming units (CFU), raising red flags.

The municipality has been keeping a close eye on the water conditions, and their latest report confirms that both Ansteys and Reunion beaches remain closed. Whether these beaches will reopen in time for the festive season remains up in the air, but with E. coli levels still high, there’s a good chance they’ll stay shut.

The beaches to avoid, south of the point because of recorded ‘poor water quality’, per The Citizen, are Ansteys, Umlaas, Reunion, Isipingo, Warner, Warner- baggies, and Winkelspruit.

This isn’t the first time eThekwini’s had to cordon off beaches because of dodgy water quality. Earlier this year, heavy rains pounded the area, forcing the municipality to close several beaches. Umgababa Beach was the only one in the southern region that stayed open.

The rain caused havoc, messing up the water quality and making it unsafe for a dip. According to the municipality, the downpours on 13 January damaged water quality across the region, with logs and other debris getting washed into rivers and straight out to sea.

The good news is that last week, eThekwini approved the budget for upgrading and making over the city’s popular tourism attraction, according to The Citizen sister paper, Berea Mail.

While the money is hopefully used for upgrades, maintenance and safety in the area, there are a couple of beaches that are perfectly fine for swimming in KZN.

Several beaches have earned the prestigious Blue Flag and Green Coast Awards for the 2024/25 season, for their environmental quality and safety standards, per Your eThekwini.

Among the Blue Flag-awarded beaches are Marina Beach, Trafalgar Beach, Southport Beach, Umzumbe Beach, Ramsgate Beach, and Hibberdene Beach within the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality; Pennington Beach in Umdoni Municipality; and Blythedale Beach and Thompson Bay Beach in KwaDukuza Municipality on the KZN North Coast.

Additionally, five beaches — Rocky Bay Beach, Preston Beach, Umthwalume Beach, Scottburgh Beach, and St Michael’s Beach — have been recognised as Blue Flag pilot sites, showing great potential in meeting the strict criteria required for full status.

[source:citizen]