South Africa: It's Code Red On the Water Quality of Beaches Around Cape Town Ahead of Peak Holiday Season

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(file photo).
4 December 2023
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Kristin Engel

Data from the City of Cape Town's website has shown continuously 'poor' water quality at a number of the city's most popular beaches.

The water quality at a number of Cape Town's beaches and tidal pools -including Fish Hoek beach, Strandfontein beach, Hout Bay beach and both Camps Bay tidal pools - is poor, according to the city's water quality review.

The beaches have been labelled in red in the review, indicating a health risk and a high bacteria count, with Central False Bay, Lagoon beach (Milnerton), Macassar to Gordon's Bay, and Three Anchor Bay beach considered to have chronic water quality problems.

The city samples coastal waters at 99 sites twice a month across the coastlines, and the results from each area are categorised as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.

Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, sought to allay rising fears that the city's coastal water quality is not as safe as previously thought, announcing: "Cape Town's most popular beaches display excellent water quality results ahead of the festive season.

"We are thrilled to announce that the results for 147 water quality samples show excellent water quality across Cape Town's key recreational nodes or beaches. A full 95% of water samples are well below the single sample standard of 180 enterococci per 100ml. This...

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