Picture File: The beach in Fish Hoek, by False Bay on the Cape Peninsula in Cape Town, South Africa. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons (Rotsee)
The City of Cape Town has temporarily closed some beaches following a sewage spill.
According to the metro, the main bathing area section at Fish Hoek Beach, between the lifeguard station and Jager Walk, was temporarily closed to the public from Monday until further notice.
This followed the closure of a section of Strand Beach on the False Bay coastline as well as Small Bay in Blaauwberg on New Year’s Day.
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Alex Lansdowne, the chairperson of the Mayoral Advisory Committee on Water Quality in Wetlands and Waterways, said the temporary closures were due to a sewer overflow caused by a blocked sewer pipe that had since been cleared.
Items such as plastics and materials were also removed from the sewer pipe.
Lansdowne said as a precautionary measure, beachgoers were advised to avoid contact with the water in the respective areas while investigations were being carried out.
“This is a precaution as contact with the water could result in potential gastro-intestinal issues and, therefore, any person who enters the water does so at their own risk.
“Health Warning signage has been erected, advising the public of the situation,” he said in a statement.
Lansdowne said various departments were activated to respond to the sewage spills including clearing the blockage.
A jet truck had also been dispatched to help reduce the impact of the overflow.
“City Health will be taking water samples on a daily basis for water quality testing until such time as the levels are within the minimum requirement for recreational activities as determined by the National Water Quality Guidelines.”
The public was also reminded to not dump illegally and to dispose waste using available solid waste services or take recyclables to the City’s drop-off facilities.
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