'Pumping sewage into the sea is normal': Cape Town has no other choice, says government

Sewage water discharge into the ocean around Cape Town poses no immediate threat to the environment and is common practice worldwide, says the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment.

This was in response to criticism — and a pending appeal — against the department's issuing of coastal water discharge permits (CWDPs) for Hout Bay, Camps Bay and Green Point, where the city discharges “preliminary” treated sewerage via outfall pipes situated out to sea.

The coastal discharge is an ongoing source of concern for many city stakeholders, among them water scientists and water sports enthusiasts who claim plumes of contaminated water pose a health risk.

ActionSA confirmed last week the party had met attorneys and would appeal against the granting of the permits, which are valid for a further five years.

However, the city and department insist marine impact assessments conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) show no “major risks” to human health.

“The findings of the above-mentioned study indicated there is no immediate ecological disaster or major risks to human health forthcoming as a result of the effluent discharged through the Cape Town outfalls,” said the department.

“The department also considered alternative options during the decision-making process. However, no other feasible options are available. The city cannot cease the operations of the waste water treatment works as the municipality has a constitutional responsibility to deliver water and sanitation services to its citizens.

“In granting the permits, the department made it conditional that the city must investigate ways to improve the quality of the effluent.

“It is important to note that the effluent discharged is not raw sewage but preliminary treated sewage.”

This is, however, disputed by independent filmmaker Mark Jackson, who produced a short documentary on the city’s coastal discharge.

“Fact is, you can't clean sewage water by running it through a sieve. That does nothing. It's either primary-treated in a settling tank [for starters] or it's raw sewage effluent. I believe the city knows that,” said Jackson. “The sooner the public knows the reality, the sooner we can start figuring out how to fix it.”

The city faces increasing scrutiny of its waste water treatment policies in light of an upsurge of sewerage spills linked to load-shedding and illegal dumping of waste. Several beaches were temporarily closed during the festive season, drawing attention to the problem. The city has since announced a large budget increase to upgrade its waste water treatment facilities and limit outages due to load-shedding.

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