The City of Cape Town’s Know Your Coast 2021 report is now available to the public. The report covers the quality of coastal water at recreational nodes and monitoring points along the Atlantic and False Bay coastlines as determined by applying the National Water Quality Guidelines.

The latest report covers coastal water quality for a 12-month period from 1 December 2020 to 30 November 2021. It reflects the outcome of statistical analysis of 2 400 bacterial sample tests taken from 99 sites along Cape Town’s coastline from Silwerboomstrand on the Atlantic to Kogel Bay on the east side of False Bay, all-in-all a stretch of 307km.

‘This is the third Know Your Coast report issued by the City. The report includes the sampling outcomes of the previous five years – that is from 2017 to 2021 – which is pivotal in understanding the longer term trends in coastal water quality for Cape Town’s beaches.

‘The value of this reporting is that it also allows the City to continuously monitor the impact of pollution on our coastal environment and to measure the success of interventions made in prior years. By following the trends, we can also see where challenges persist and this then guides future interventions to improve water quality,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

Apart from the annual Know Your Coast report, the City also publishes bi-weekly data updates on our web portal for those interested in the latest sampling outcomes.

‘There are multiple sources of coastal pollution. First off, we need to acknowledge that all of us living and working in Cape Town has an impact on our natural environment. Secondly, the City has an important role to play in ensuring that our infrastructure is well maintained and able to cope with our population growth. Thirdly, and importantly, the City cannot prevent or limit pollution on our own. We need partnerships with residents, and behaviour change where residents refrain from littering, illegal dumping in our sewers and stormwater mains, and to not dispose of grey water or any other substances in the stormwater mains. It is a fact that everything that is dumped in our rivers, canals, streams, and stormwater mains eventually finds its way into the sea,’ said Alderman Andrews.

The 2021 report confirms that, overall, there have been no significant changes in coastal water quality in Cape Town between 2020 and 2021. Also, in instances of a ‘poor’ rating, this can mostly be attributed to three or fewer samples or discrete spikes in bacteria counts, as opposed to consistently high counts of bacteria.

Marginal improvements have been noted in some areas, while a number of areas are considered as chronically polluted, such as Lagoon Beach and Three Anchor Bay in the vicinity of the stormwater outlet, Sunrise Beach, Strand Pavillion jetty, and Monwabisi Beach.

The trend and pattern remains constant where stormwater outlets and river mouths remain significant sources of pollution. This confirms that sewer blockages and overflows, illegal discharges, and general urban run-off and waste disposal discharged via the city’s stormwater system and rivers have a significant impact on our coastal environment and coastal water quality.

Wastewater effluent from the City’s Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTWs) has an impact on coastal water quality results in specific areas. The City is addressing this with major upgrades planned, or already under way, at the Zandvliet WWTWs, Potsdam, Mitchells Plain, and Macassar.

Disclosure of coastal water quality results:

• the Know Your Coast, 2021 report is available on the City’s website at http://bit.ly/Coastalwaterquality. The report presents the key findings, as well as interventions in addressing identified challenges

• the City is publishing updated information on coastal water quality, which now includes the latest raw data results on our web portal every second week. Residents and visitors can access the web portal at http://bit.ly/Coastalwaterquality

• the City recently added 11 sites to its existing 88 coastal quality sampling points. We are now monitoring 99 points, twice a month. These sites were added to improve our knowledge of coastal water quality and to assist us in addressing problems as and when they arise. The additional sampling points are located at: Three Anchor Bay, Glen Beach, Camps Bay, Noordhoek beach, Fish Hoek beach, Muizenberg at Surfer’s Corner, the Helderberg Marine Protected Area, Strand, and Gordon’s Bay.

In summary, the key findings for 2021 are as follows:

Atlantic coastline:

• The water quality at 20 out of the 28 recreational beaches and tidal pools met the minimum requirement for recreational activities such as swimming and surfing as opposed to 19 beaches in 2020.

• When compared with 2020, the water quality improved at four locations in 2021: at Silverboomstrand Resort, Table View, Rocklands Beach, Camps Bay tidal pool A, and Llandudno Beach.

• The water quality regressed into the ‘poor’ category at three beaches, among which Saunders’ Rocks tidal pool, Bakoven Beach and Long Beach, Kommetjie.

• Notable changes are that Table View has achieved ‘excellent’ status; while the Three Anchor Bay sites have continuously been ‘poor’. The additional sampling point at the north-west side of Three Anchor Bay (further away from the stormwater outlet) has consistently yielded ‘excellent’ results. This highlights the substantial impact that the stormwater outlet has on water quality at Three Anchor Bay.

• Bakoven Beach displays fluctuating results and has regressed to the ‘poor’ category. This is likely attributed to the Beta Road pump station that has failed multiple times during the 2021.

False Bay coastline:

• The water quality at 22 of the 33 recreational beaches and tidal pools met the minimum requirement, as opposed to 15 beaches in 2020.

• When compared with 2020, the water quality improved at nine locations: Boulders Beach, Fish Hoek Beach, Dalebrook tidal pool, Mnandi Beach West, Mnandi Beach East, Macassar Beach, Strand Harmony Park and Bikini Beach.

• Up to 11 recreational beaches were rated ‘poor’. These were Seaforth Beach, Simon’s Town Long Beach, Clovelly, Muizenberg station, Muizenberg Pavilion, Sunrise Beach, Monwabisi Beach, Strand Murray Street, Strand Pavilion jetty, Gordon’s Bay and Gordon’s Bay Milkwood.

• The water quality regressed into the ‘poor’ category at four locations: Seaforth Beach, Simon’s Town Long Beach, Muizenberg Station and Gordon’s Bay.

• While Fish Hoek Beach has yielded an ‘excellent’ result only once in the last four years, it is useful to note that the additional site located in the popular bathing area, adjacent to Galley Restaurant and close to Jager’s Walk, has yielded consistently excellent results since inception and, as such, is rated ‘excellent’. This again highlights the impact of stormwater outlets on coastal water quality as reflected in water quality results at those sample sites located next to such outlets.

• Readings for Muizenberg station and Muizenberg Pavilion were rated ‘poor’. The poor results for these areas are likely attributed to stormwater discharge and sewage spills into Zandvlei, which discharge to the east of these sampling points. Despite poor results at both ends of Muizenberg Beach, a new sampling point (Muizenberg central) located in front of the ablutions/Shark Spotters building is rated ‘good’. This sampling point was chosen as it is a popular recreational area. The Muizenberg area has also undergone extensive sewer infrastructure upgrades in the last 18 months, and the effects should become apparent in the following reporting period.

How to prevent ocean pollution:

The disposal of litter and substances in the stormwater system has a huge impact on our coastal water quality.

In terms of various City bylaws, it is illegal to discharge any substance that may harm the quality of the water in the stormwater system.

We all share the responsibility to prevent pollution from entering our ocean. The coastline is one of our most important socio-economic, cultural and environmental assets, and we need to do everything possible to protect it.

‘It is very difficult to trace the source of pollution in stormwater, so I want to appeal to residents to please inform the City if they are aware of waste dumping or discharging of substances into the stormwater system. In the meantime, the City is managing and investing in its network sewers and wastewater treatment facilities, which serve the population of Cape Town to reduce pollution and minimise the impact of our city and its residents on the environment,’ said Alderman Andrews.

Source: City Of Cape Town