The FF Plus is seriously concerned about the rising quantities of sewage dumped in the sea around Cape Town, which poses a growing environmental risk, especially when pump stations stop working, as was the case at Sea Point last week.
Finding a solution to the problem has been put off for too long and with the Metro’s fast-growing population, swift action has to be taken before the situation turns into a full-blown health crisis.
According to a media report earlier this year (12 February 2024; Moneyweb: Cape Town’s ocean-bound sewage options unveiled), Cape Town had already been pumping approximately 32 million litres of raw or untreated sewage into the sea every day since last year.
The areas most affected are Green Point, Sea Point and Hout Bay. At Camps Bay, according to the report, about 2 million litres of sewage is pumped out to sea daily.
The beaches in these areas attract millions of visitors every year and the growing risk it poses to everyone residing in the area is self-evident.
Denying that this is a serious problem would be dishonest and a deceptive attempt to lull the public into a false sense of security.
The mere fact that the city frequently monitors the water quality of the Atlantic Ocean around Cape Town proves that it is, in fact, not ignorant of the threat posed by the pollution.
After the incident last Wednesday when one of the pumps at Green Point broke down, the remaining pumps could not handle the large quantities of sewage during peak times.
This is totally unacceptable seeing as it is an absolute given that machinery, such as pumps, will break down from time to time. Not having an emergency contingency plan in place is irresponsible.
Similar problems were recently also experienced at Hout Bay and a few other dumping sites. This is clearly becoming a frequent occurrence, which indicates that the existing system is starting to fail.
Cape Town has been pumping sewage into the sea for decades and a feasibility study conducted earlier this year showed that it will cost up to R8 billion to either build new wastewater treatment plants or pump the sewage to existing wastewater plants.
The City Council adopted its 2024 strategy for water management last week to secure more funding from the National Treasury for water management in the city.
The FF Plus urges the City of Cape Town to treat this as a serious matter. The existing infrastructure is crumbling and inadequate, and work should start at once.
The FF Plus will monitor the situation and make recommendations to the relevant Portfolio Committee.
Capetonians’ tax rates are already excessively high, and it is no secret that only a small number of people are contributing to the City’s tax pool. These loyal and overtaxed residents deserve better from the City’s DA government; they should not have to swim in a sea of sewage.
;
