Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has taken a step towards alleviating the concerns of residents and stakeholders that its historic practice of pumping screened sewage into the ocean via its three marine outfalls is harming Cape Town’s sensitive marine environment and affecting human health.

A meeting was held on June 2 between the City and a group of civil society stakeholders to share the draft results of a City-commissioned study investigating the marine outfalls to ensure they are improved and sensitive to the environment, residents and visitors.

In a statement, environmental group RethinkTheStink stated that this meeting comes after many years of unsuccessful attempts to engage the City about its concerns regarding the ongoing pollution and contamination of Cape Town’s sensitive Marine Protected Areas caused by the sewage from the outfalls in Green Point, Camps Bay and Hout Bay.

Caroline Marx from RethinkTheStink said: “It is encouraging that the City for the first time is prepared to objectively look at alternatives to the discharge of raw sewage into what should be pristine underwater nature reserves.”

Former lecturer at Stellenbosch University's faculty of medicine and health sciences, Jo Barnes, who has been sharing her concerns and research about the impact of the marine outfalls in Cape Town, agreed that this was the first time the City was willing to listen to their concerns.

At the meeting the City presented three possible scenarios: first was the option of pumping the effluent to existing sewage treatment plants (which would require costly plant upgrades and expensive pipes and pumping); second was building new Waste Water Treatment Plants in relatively close proximity to each outfall; third was the option of a possible extension of the outfall pipelines further out to sea which would not stop the ocean pollution, but would make it less visible.

Marx said their concern now was the long time-frames in decision-making (estimated to be three years), given the health risks to open water swimmers, divers, canoeists, and occasionally even beach goers, as well as the reputational risk to the local tourism industry, and the possibility of long-term damage to the ecosystem.

Water and Sanitation Mayco member Zahid Badroodien said the City commissioned the study that will determine the scoping feasibility and costing of various higher level pre-treatment interventions, including the removal of contaminants of concern.

“The draft scoping study report on marine outfalls will be received by the City by June 30, and the way forward will be announced towards the end of the year,” he said.

In the meantime, Badroodien said seven major studies have been undertaken by different marine science experts (all investigating different measurable aspects) over the last six years and their overall conclusion is that: “the marine outfalls are meeting their design objectives in reducing potential deleterious ecological and/or human health effects of discharged effluent by taking advantage of increased effluent dilution offered by deep water”.

“Today’s engagement is an indication of our commitment to work towards protecting our environment. We will achieve this by making sure that our marine outfalls are improved to ensure that it is sensitive to our environment and our residents and visitors who enjoy it,” he said.

Local marine conservation photographer Jean Tresfon shared shocking aerial shots taken along Hout Bay, Green Point, Camps Bay and Table Bay from 2014 up to 2022 which show large plumes of sewage that cannot be seen by typical beach users. This was shared at a Bays of Sewage meeting in March 2023. Picture: Jean Tresfon

kristin.engel@inl.co.za

Cape Argus