People sunbathe and swim at a beach.
- The City of Cape Town has re-opened Hout Bay beach.
- Water samples were taken for testing and indicated the levels are within the minimum requirement.
- Health warning signage will subsequently be removed.
The City of Cape Town has re-opened Hout Bay beach after tests showed water samples taken this week were within the minimum requirement of pollution for recreational activities as determined by the National Water Quality Guidelines for coastal waters.
Earlier this week, the City announced it was investigating a possible pollution source that led to the temporary closure of Hout Bay Beach as a precautionary measure.
“Various City departments have been activated to respond to this incident. City health will be taking water samples on a daily basis for water quality testing until such time as the levels are within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by national water quality guidelines,” it previously said.
The beach was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure.
Investigations found sewer reticulation pipes and a bulk stormwater pipe (which also had illegal sewer connections) were blocked with foreign objects such as litter, rags, carpets, tins, pieces of animal carcasses, stones, brick pieces and even cutlery.
READ | City of Cape Town reopens Llandudno Beach, closes Hout Bay Beach, Dalebrook tidal pool
“This unfortunately caused an overflow at the stormwater-to-sewer diversion chamber in the area. The City’s Roads and Infrastructure Management and Water and Sanitation Departments collectively addressed the blockage and cleaned the stormwater-to-sewer low flow diversion chambers. The City continues to monitor this situation,” said the City in a statement on Saturday.
A stern warning has been issued to residents not to discard waste into the sewer system.
What you can do to help prevent sewer overflows
Don’t flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper.
Use the City’s solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste, not drains. Waste that gets into the sewer pipes will cause blockages and put strain on and can damage sewer related infrastructure such as pipelines, pump stations and wastewater treatment works (WWTWs).
Report sewer blockages and overflows so they can be cleared in a reasonable timeframe, given the current power situation.
On Wednesday, the City reopened the Llandudno Beach after tests showed the water was safe.
“Testing indicated the levels were within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by national water quality guidelines,” the City added. The City has thanked beach-goers for their cooperation when sewage-related matters temporarily affect public access to our beaches.
