For sewage spills contact the respective Local Municipalities (see District Municipalities/ Metropolitan: King Cetshwayo, iLembe, eThekwini, Ugu)
Contact the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) (refer to contact table)
For a hazardous spill report to DFFE and EDTEA (refer to contact table).
For Section 30/30A incidents, for example sewage spills into a water course, please follow NEMA Section 30 to report (see links under Additional Information).
The responsibility for sewage spills in estuaries and along the coast was transferred to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) through the Integrated Coastal Management Act (Act No. 24 of 2008) (ICMA).
The discharge of any effluent into the coastal environment from a land-based process must be authorised by the DFFE.
Any discharge of land-based effluent to the coastal environment from an activity triggering any of the Listing Notices in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations under the NEMA, is subject to the applicable environmental authorisation by the DFFE and / or a Coastal Water Discharge Permit (CWDP).
A sewage spill in the estuary or along the coast should be reported to the DFFE, KZN EDTEA and the Local Municipality as well as DWS since collaboration between these groups is required.
What information to report and the procedure for reporting.
- Name and contact details of person reporting
- Date and time of observation
- Details of observation
- Location or relative position
- Source /cause of pollution
- Weather and sea conditions
Who to contact
Report pollution incident to DFFE: 021 8192450/ 021 8192457
Share call to assist the public with environment related queries, call the DFFE Call Centre: 086 111 2468
For more information on the ICMA and NEMA, see Legislation under Governance