While other issues were highlighted on the agenda (taxis and their alleged illegal behaviour, among others) at the Subcouncil 3 meeting held on Thursday, 16 February, residents feel that more information around the pollution at the Milnerton Lagoon could have been shared.
For this reason, the Milnerton Lagoon stakeholder engagement will be held on Monday, 13 March which is open to all who have more questions than answers.
According to the environmentalist group ReThinkTheStink, Milnerton residents were again exposed to ongoing foul smells in January, with reports of eye, nasal and skin irritation, headaches and nausea.
Following no satisfactory explanation from the City of Cape Town, independent water tests were commissioned around the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Plant and found effluent pouring out of an “official outlet” to contain an E. coli count of 1 560 000 cfu/100ml and 2 140 000 cfu/100ml from an “unofficial outlet”.
Caroline Marx, community activist and admin of the ReThinkTheStink group, says in a post this is a clear violation of the National Environment Management Act, “which sets the limit at 1 000 cfu”.
TygerBurger reached out to a few residents who claim that the foul smell last month resulted in health and safety concerns.
A resident, Pamela Munro, says she experienced headaches and nausea symptoms last month.
“I know all of this is linked to the foul smell coming from the lagoon. If this is likely to persist, I will sue the City,” she says.
Others in the area also claim that the stench is impacting the value of their property.
A call for help
ReThinkTheStink made an urgent appeal to the community to donate towards their water sample testing at the lagoon recently.
The group says when the City failed to provide information about the source of sewage-related toxic smells around the lagoon recently, they went ahead with independent water testing at the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Diep River and in the Lagoon.
“We need your help to continue this important work. Your donations will cover the costs of water testing and help us hold the city legally accountable to ensure the safety of our community and our waterways.
Only together we will be able to make a difference. If you aren’t donating yet, please consider becoming a change agent,” the group says.
They have also reached out to both the provincial minister of environment and development planning and the national minister of water and sanitation, demanding their departments take action.
“Thanks to our community’s financial support, we were able to conduct independent water testing. If you run a business in the neighbourhood and would like to sponsor an independent water test to help protect our ecosystem, please get in touch.”
City’s water testing
TygerBurger reached out to the City asking about their recent water sample testing on 7 February and what the results were.
The City’s acting Mayco member for water and sanitation, Siseko Mbandezi, says they conducted routine monitoring for the lagoon on 23 January.
The results on 7 February were as follows:
- Diepriver estuary at Woodbridge Island (Loxton Road): 38 110
- Diepriver estuary at the mouth: 2 180
The City has since rolled out several measures to deal with the hazardous pollution in the lagoon, including a R5 billion upgrade to the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works.
The problem is due to the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment plant not having the capacity to manage the load from the increasingly populated city, TygerBurger has reported previously.
It has resulted in an overflow of effluent and sewage spills into stormwater drains that eventually end up in the lagoon,
Two fish die-offs in the Milnerton lagoon last year were caused by rapid algae growth in the sewage-polluted estuary, the City said at the time.
The City has also introduced sandbags to act as a barrier between the pollution and the lagoon. “This is a temporary solution, and the impact thereof will still need to be established.”
The City also had a meeting with the public to discuss possible solutions for the lagoon.
