Environmental advocacy group ReThinkTheStink has called on the City of Cape Town to act urgently to restore Lagoon Beach and the Milnerton Lagoon to a safe and healthy state.
In a statement entitled “Lagoon Beach: How much longer must we wait?” Peter Walsh from ReThinkTheStink said a letter sent directly to the Speaker of the City of Cape Town in August had not received a reply. Families and children, he said, continue to swim in polluted waters without a clear warning, despite repeated requests for proper signage over the past 18 months.
Key questions for city departments
Walsh publicly questioned:
- Why the Department of Environmental Affairs had not held anyone accountable for a decade of sewage pollution.
- Why water and sanitation, headed by councillor Zahid Badroodien, had not acted on signage concerns raised in public meetings.
- Why the Department of Health had failed to implement safety measures despite knowing the risks.
- Why ward councillors Fabian Kevin Ah-Sing and Anthony Benadie had not responded to residents’ ongoing concerns.
“Lagoon Beach should be a source of pride for Cape Town,” Walsh said. “Instead, it has become a polluted hazard and a symbol of neglect.”
Lagoon Beach plans
Recently, Ward 55 councillor Fabian Kevin Ah-Sing posted a video on social media detailing the City’s plans for Lagoon Beach, highlighting ongoing upgrades and interventions.
The City responded to residents’ concerns, outlining short-, medium- and long-term interventions aimed at improving the health of the lagoon. A R117 million investment was planned for the Milnerton Bulk Sewer project in the 2025-’26 financial year. Permanent signage has been installed while chronic pollution sources in Dunoon and Joe Slovo are addressed.
A second HDPE rising main at Koeberg Pump Station will be installed to manage daily overflows, expected by end-October.
“All four pumps at Koeberg Power Station are operational,” Badroodien said, “departments are investigating unusually-high inflows. A new sand trap and screen at Koeberg PS will be commissioned by end September to prevent grit from clogging settling tanks. Proactive sewer cleaning and jetting occur every three months, with ongoing manhole inspections and repairs. All 112 regional reticulation pump stations have telemetry installed for early fault detection.”
Key pump station upgrades
- Dunoon PS: screening reconfiguration (March this year), electrical upgrades (June), overflow pond reinstatement (April) – R5 million.
- Koeberg Road PS: sand trap upgrades (June 2025, R61,2m), capacity upgrade (Dec 2028, R137,7m).
- Table View East PS: basket screen (Aug 2025), backup pumps (June 2026), full upgrade (Aug 2030).
- Phoenix PS: new rising main underway, completion Oct 2027 – R70,6m.
- Sanddrift East PS: upgrade due Dec 2027 – R46m.
- Table View West PS: upgrade scheduled June 2030 – R30m.
- Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW)
- Repairs to settling tanks and reactor aerators are complete, improving effluent quality.
- Additional chlorine dosing reduces E. coli levels.
- A new bypass system is under construction to prevent re-contamination.
- Dewatering installations, including 16 belt presses, are being phased in; several are already operational.
Major upgrades, including ultrafiltration modules and new sludge dewatering facilities, are progressing with key milestones expected by October 2027.
Signage and health responsibility
The City clarified that beach signage fell under the Health Directorate and Coastal Management, not Water and Sanitation. Currently, eight signs are installed along Lagoon Beach warning visitors not to swim.
The signage is being updated and redesigned, with all new signs expected by the end of October 2025.
Walsh urged the Speaker and City departments to take immediate action and hold responsible parties accountable. “Lagoon Beach must be restored as a safe, healthy space for all.”
“It’s alarming that children and families swim here daily with minimal warning,” said Anna Coetzee, a Table View resident.
“The City needs to act faster,” Sipho Mkhize, a local father, said. “We’ve been promised improvements for years. Enough waiting; Lagoon Beach must be safe now.”
“Seeing these upgrades is good,” commented Claudia Richter, Milnerton resident, “but signage and enforcement must happen immediately to protect the community.”
