Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
What urgent interventions is his Department implementing to address ongoing sewage leaks and high E. coli levels at Milnerton Lagoon?
The Department has issued the City of Cape Town Municipality (“the City”) with two Directives in relation to the ongoing sewage pollution of the Milnerton Lagoon and Diep River which have directly resulted in the upgrading of existing sewage infrastructure in that area. In terms of immediate/short and medium-term interventions, the City has been addressing sewer line collapses and other infrastructure failures that have led to sewage overflows into the lagoon, conducting regular clean-ups of the Theo Marais Canal and the lower Diep river, regular water sampling and monitoring, developed pollution incident protocols and contingency plans, investigated the illicit discharge into the stormwater drainage systems, installing litter nets and telemetry systems and over pumping where necessary, amongst other interventions – all as a result of the Department’s Directive’s.
In addition, as part of the Department Directives, the City has been directed to appoint a freshwater specialist to evaluate the current condition of the lower Diep River and to oversee the effective remediation and rehabilitation of the lower Diep River and Milnerton lagoon. As such, the Department is confident that this initiative will aid in further addressing the current pollution issues while major infrastructure upgrades are in progress. As with the other timeframes within the Directives, the Department will continue to ensure strict monitoring of these timeframes and have established regular reporting mechanisms between the Department and the City on progress, which includes the City communicating any incidents or challenges experienced with the projects to the general public and affected and interested parties. The Department’s Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs) conduct frequent site inspections on complaints received as well as to verify the accuracy of the City’s reports and feedback, and to ensure that the City are implementing the required measures on the ground. The Department holds regular meetings with the City to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide guidance where required.
