While the public participation deadline looms for comments on three marine outfalls location sites in the city, non-profit company (NPC) RethinkTheStink says independent water testing of seawater showed high levels of bacterial contamination in Green Point.
The marine outfalls are located at Hout Bay, Green Point and Camps Bay.
RethinkTheStink said results from independent water testing of seawater showed elevated levels of bacterial contamination in Green Point seawater with Enterococci results of 6 870 cfu/100ml (should be < 100) on October 30.
“These levels represent a health risk to water users (divers, surfers, canoeists, open water swimmers, etc.) even more so when the sewage plume moves closer to the shore.
Despite perfect weather conditions and clean water elsewhere, the sewage plume was clearly visible on the surface with obvious particulate matter.
“The Green Point Marine Outfall pumps 50 million litres per day of raw sewage into the ocean, with similar discharges of raw sewage in Camps Bay (750m from Maiden’s Cove shore) and Hout Bay, these are directly into and affecting Marine Protected Areas.
Marine life including seaweed, sea urchins, fish and even penguins around Cape Town contain traces of multiple pharmaceuticals from antibiotics to anti-inflammatories and painkillers because sewage is not being treated sufficiently to remove these chemicals.
“Many of these chemicals are known to be toxic, affecting growth and reproduction,” RethinkTheStink said.
A public information session is set to be held on Thursday at Camps Bay High School to discuss the impact of Cape Town’s marine outfall pipelines on the environment and public health.
The session comes days after ActionSA laid criminal charges against the City for the continued operation of the marine outfall sites.
The panel will include experts such as Dr Jo Barnes, an epidemiologist and senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr Cleeve Robertson, CEO of the NSRI, Professor Leslie Petrik, professor of chemistry at UWC, Caroline Marx, director of RethinkTheStink, and Jean Tresfon, a marine conservation photographer.
Earlier this year, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reversed a permit the City was granted which allowed them to continue pumping raw sewage into the coastal discharge sites. Making the decision, Creecy said the public participation process conducted by the City was “inadequate, outdated and should be redone”.
The City had applied for the permits in 2014 but five parties appealed against the issuing of a further five-year permit on grounds that this would be based on “factually incorrect information; contravened the Marine Living Resources Act; contravened the Bill of Rights including the right to a healthy environment, and there was no evidence that a public participation process process or risk assessment was conducted”.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said the City continues to operate the marine outfalls with current permits and licence conditions as issued by the Department of Water and Sanitation/DFFE.
“Seven major studies have been undertaken by experts, with the expert summary report concluding that the marine outfalls are meeting their design objectives”..
This research has been published on the City’s website and shared with key stakeholders over time… The research is also of benefit to refreshed public participation on the outfalls, which are currently taking place until November 21,” said Badroodien.
Public participation meetings took place in October. Residents still have the opportunity to submit their comments until November 21.
Submit comments to www.capetown.gov.za/haveyoursay or email [email protected].
Cape Times