Cape Town - A pump failure at the Green Point outfall has resulted in emergency discharge into the ocean.
The incident came just weeks after a sewage pump failure in Camps Bay resulted in the same outcome, sparking concern among residents over the water quality.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said while two pumps were removed for maintenance on Wednesday, two other pumps, which returned from maintenance, had failed, leaving only one of six pumps operational.
“Unfortunately, due to the failure of these pumps, an emergency discharge into the ocean was unavoidable. This discharge occurred during peak operating hours, as the remaining pumps could not handle the incoming volumes,” said Badroodien.
In response to the situation, the City successfully repaired and reinstalled one additional pump, bringing the total to two operational pumps.
“This does mean that the pump station is currently operating under constrained capacity due to the failure of several pumps,” Badroodien said.
Authorities are working to expedite repairs on a third larger pump, anticipated to be operational within a week.
Additionally, plans are in motion to procure a back-up pump to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Chris Willemse, representing the Camps Bay Residents’ Association, expressed strong opposition to the ongoing discharges into the bay, emphasising that the City has long been evasive regarding the severity of this issue.
“The City has obfuscated the problem for over a decade. They are only now begrudgingly admitting there is a crisis,” Willemse said.
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment spokesperson, Peter Mbelengwa, said local government procedures were being followed, and further assessments by the Green Scorpions are pending.
The City has since erected signage to inform the public about the situation, and will continue monitoring water quality closely to mitigate any potential risks associated with the sewage discharge.
At the end of July, a loose flange used to connect pipes in Camps Bay, caused a failure at the station and was detected by the City.
The incident resulted in the closure of the beach as water quality testing was under way
Mark Jackson, an environmental expert, voiced concerns about the impact of sewage leakage into the ocean, particularly regarding potential health risks associated with contamination.
Jackson said the City must ensure that Marine Protected Areas are excluded from any discharge activities, as required by regulations including National Environmental Management Amendment Act of 2008, Section 30, which mandates public notification prior to such actions.
grecia.mgolombane@inl.co.za
Cape Argus