Importance Score: 72 / 100 🔴
Cape Town Grapples with Persistent Water Pollution Concerns
Underneath a clear summer sky in Cape Town, the typically tranquil Milnerton Lagoon reflected the azure expanse above and the majestic Table Mountain. Despite the idyllic setting, a strong, offensive smell hung in the air, and a closer inspection revealed the lagoon’s water to be visibly contaminated, raising concerns about sewage and broader water pollution in the area.
Recreational Waters at Risk
Just a short distance away, adults and children were observed playing in the water where the lagoon empties into Table Bay. A nearby boardwalk sign served as a stark reminder of the issue, warning: “Polluted water: for health reasons, swimming and recreational activities are at your own risk.”
Local Resident Voices Alarm
Caroline Marx, a resident with a property overlooking the lagoon, has been actively campaigning against the pollution since 2013. She stated, “I woke up at midnight overwhelmed by the potent smell of sewage.” Marx recounted a severe pollution event in 2020, describing, “They experienced catastrophic pollution where the lagoon turned grey and milky, with an unbearable stench. Following the clearing, all aquatic life appeared dead. Regrettably, each time the lagoon shows signs of recovery, another spill occurs.”
Citizen Group vs. City Authorities
Marx is a member of Rethink the Stink, a citizen science collective engaged in a dispute with Cape Town authorities. The group alleges insufficient action from the city, responsible for nearly 5 million residents, to prevent sewage pollution in the surrounding waters.
City officials have refuted the majority of the group’s accusations, dismissing two members as “longtime antagonists” in official responses. They maintain that substantial investment is being directed towards infrastructure improvements, citing 7.2 billion rand (£305 million) allocated for upgrades to two wastewater treatment facilities.
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City Initiatives to Combat Lagoon Pollution
Zahid Badroodien, the mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, commented, “Numerous focused interventions are currently underway to lessen the effects of recent sewage pollution incidents impacting the Milnerton Lagoon.”
Dispute Over Beach Water Quality Data
Tensions escalated following the release of data by Rethink the Stink from November and December. The data indicated elevated levels of enterococci and E coli bacteria – indicators of faecal contamination – at two internationally recognized “blue flag” beaches. Blue flag status is a voluntary, global benchmark for beach cleanliness.
The Project Blue report, termed “a limited, citizen-driven investigation”, revealed enterococci levels exceeding the city’s “sufficient” water quality standard on one of four sampling dates at Camps Bay beach and on two of three dates at Clifton Fourth beach.
City authorities contested these findings, questioning the accreditation of one laboratory which they stated was only government-approved for testing E coli in drinking water and wastewater effluent, not seawater. They further questioned the accreditation of the second lab for saline but not specifically seawater testing.
The South African National Accreditation System (Sanas) clarified, “Accreditation is method-specific, not generic… Sanas cannot provide opinions on non-accredited methodologies.” Rethink the Stink has affirmed that the laboratories stand by their reported results.
City Defends Monitoring Transparency
Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews asserted that the city’s monitoring program is the most transparent and comprehensive in South Africa. “Results from hundreds of samples demonstrated consistently high water quality at designated swimming zones throughout the peak summer tourism period,” Andrews stated.
Marine Outfalls and Chemical Concerns
Another point of contention is Cape Town’s three marine outfalls. These outlets discharge an average of 28 million litres of partially treated wastewater daily into the ocean, at distances ranging from approximately a third of a mile to a mile offshore, at depths of 20-40 metres.
Leslie Petrik, an emeritus chemistry professor at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and co-author of Project Blue, became involved with Rethink the Stink after detecting elevated concentrations of pharmaceutical and other chemicals in marine organisms such as mussels and starfish. She attributes this contamination to the marine outfalls and the perceived deficiencies in wastewater treatment plants.
City’s Dispersion Modeling vs. Pollution Limits
Deputy Mayor Andrews responded, “The city has made public ten years of extensive monitoring data, reports, and analyses from independent experts. Detailed numerical dispersion modeling demonstrates that South African water quality guidelines are not exceeded anywhere along the coastline due to effluent discharge from the marine outfalls.”
However, city reports themselves indicate that the outfalls exceeded permitted limits for “suspended solids,” arsenic, and zinc on several occasions between October and December 2024.
Soet River and Informal Settlements
At Strand beach, situated on the eastern side of False Bay, the foul-smelling Soet river flowed into the ocean surf. A weathered sign at the beach entrance warned of pollution extending 150 metres in either direction from the river’s mouth.
Jo Barnes, an epidemiologist from Stellenbosch University, along with Jamii Hamlin, a surfer and lifeguard, suggest that inadequate sanitation and waste removal services in upstream informal settlements are major contributing factors to the pollution.
The city provides nearly 54,000 toilets for the 170,000 households located within its 526 informal settlements. Sumaya Clarke, a senior lecturer in environmental and water science at UWC, noted that the placement of many toilets on the periphery of these settlements leads residents to opt for buckets instead. Clarke commented, “The city is doing what it can. I remain uncertain if these efforts are sufficient.”