A joint water quality sample done at Rietvlei recently shows that E.coli levels were low enough for the vlei to be reopened.
This after the Milnerton Aquatic Club (Mac) put pressure on the City of Cape Town to conduct more water tests, as lower E.coli levels were found – much lower than that of the City’s.
The joint water quality sampling took place on 3 February, joined by the City, the national water and sanitation department (DWS), the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and Mac.
As a result, the City is preparing to issue a protected area notice to reopen the vlei.
TygerBurger reported last week that hundreds of people have lost their jobs due to the closure of the vlei.
Katja Haslinger, Mac conservation officer, says that they often have to beg, send multiple emails and reminders to the City until they receive the results.
Haslinger says that since the City summarised their own test results wrong, they need edto be sure and decided to test the water through a private laboratory.
However, the City says that further investigation is needed to understand the different results obtained by the City’s laboratory and to determine whether these are associated with any health risks to Rietvlei users.
Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayco member for water and sanitation, and City officials, have met with representatives from Mac to discuss the outcome of the joint water quality sampling event, the interventions the City is undertaking, and the way forward.
“The City’s scientific services branch is an accredited laboratory with a longstanding reputation for its capabilities and compliance with relevant standards in terms of processes and equipment.
“Standardised quality control testing and inter-laboratory comparison is conducted on City test results on an ongoing basis and shows that the correct standards are being met. The City is investigating what exactly informed the differences between the samples of different stakeholders in the case of Rietvlei.
“I want to extend a word of appreciation to Mac, DWS and SABS for their continued collaboration and interest in this issue. We appreciate their support, partnership and understanding,” says Badroodien.
The environmental management department who manages the Table Bay Nature Reserve will issue a protected area notice to regular users of Rietvlei, including members of the Protected Area Advisory Committee, to confirm the opening of the waterbody.
The City has allocated funding to investigate the remediation options for Rietvlei.
“This is part of an ongoing collaborative project with stakeholders to help improve inland water quality,” Badroodien says.
In the meantime, the City will continue with the selective removal of algae and pondweed from Rietvlei to lower the nutrient load and improve easy access into the vlei via the slipways, with these operations set to continue until at least mid-March this year.
“Capital works include the construction of an artificial wetland at the entrance of the Bayside Canal and the upgrading of the pump stations in the area.
The City will, in coming days, undertake further water quality testing at Zandvlei and Zeekoevlei,” Badroodien adds.
Both water bodies are currently closed for recreational use due to water quality concerns. The outcome of the testing will determine the way forward and the City will make an announcement once a decision has been made.
