No leaking pipe behind beach effluent at Pipeline Beach

THE tainted sand that initially sparked fears of a chemical spill on Pipeline Beach on Thursday morning, 14 February, have proven unfounded.

The beach was closed to the public after anglers noticed an oily substance seeping up to a section of the sand’s surface.

Incase you missed the initial updates: ALERT: Pipeline Beach closed to public following unconfirmed chemical spill and UPDATE: Tests prove spill on Pipeline Beach is non-toxic  

However, following a thorough clean-up of the area, investigations have shown the seepage which pushed up through the sand was a non-hazardous, biodegradable treated effluent which had been trapped in a blocked municipal wastewater pipe lying metres below the beach’s surface.

Ward 97’s Cllr Andre Beetge said the spill was reported to the relevant authorities before the beach was closed to the public and sampling done for testing. Acacia Operating Services (AOS), which operates the marine outfall pipe which discharges its treated effluent 1,7km out to sea at Pipeline, worked with beach management to ensure the area was contained and a clean-up began that afternoon.

Authorisation was given for a TLB to remove some 27 skips of beach sand, which not only cleaned the area but also helped provide access to the stormwater drain from where it had emanated. SpillTech was on standby with a supersucker for three days from Thursday onwards, to ensure any new spill could be dealt with immediately.

By Friday, 15 February test results showed the substance was a molasses-like, biodegradable and non-toxic treated effluent, the same which is pumped 1,7km out to sea by AOS. Acacia had switched off its pumps the previous day, after it suspected its pipeline may have leaked the treated waste water.

Services director of Acacia, Ewan Alanthwaite initially suspected their pipeline may have had a leak which was depositing the effluent into the municipal stormwater drain, as the substance ceased to flow from the stormwater outlet when the pumps were turned off.

On Tuesday, 19 February AOS told the Sun that camera footage showed the effluent pipeline was undamaged and not leaking. Once the pipeline had been assessed and found in perfect condition, Acacia’s pumps resumed operating and officials remained on standby all of Friday afternoon through to Saturday to ensure no effluent continued to leak.

The lack of effluent surfacing while the pumps were running provided a clear indication that Acacia’s pipeline was not leaking treated waste water and it was not the source of the spill. Alanthwaite explained that the substance had probably been trapped in the stormwater drain for some time.

“On inspection of the municipal stormwater drain, from where the effluent came, the drain was found completely clogged with sand,” said Alanthwaite.

“This effluent that leaked out had been trapped in this stormwater pipe for what could’ve been years. Test results show the effluent is that of Acacia’s pipeline, but we are unsure when exactly it made its way into the stormwater drain, but we know it was a long time ago.

It could be a result of either one of the freak storms of the past (10 October, 2017) or from an excursion that we experienced last September, that was contained and cleaned immediately. AOS suspects the effluent had likely migrated up through the sand over time, once it came to be in the stormwater drain.

Fortunately the treated effluent is not toxic and causes no harm to the environment, but had to be removed in compliance with environmental legislation. The excavated sand has been taken to a landfill site.

Alanthwaite explained that if the municipal stormwater drain was clear and functional, the treated waste water would’ve been discovered immediately and the source of the leak located, contained and removed.

“We run tests and checks daily. Inspectors walk the above-ground pipes daily and we perform camera checks on the pipes below ground annually. The integrity of our marine outfall pipeline is always checked through annual dives. Divers inspect the pipelines all the way to the final discharge point in the sea, ensuring they are in perfect condition.

We also have spotters who alert us if there is ever a discolouration in the water at the end of the pipeline. This is caused by a change in currents and water temperature (generally in winter) and is more of an aesthetic problem than posing any health or environmental risks,” he said. AOS noted that it has not had a major discolouration for the past two years.

Acacia’s pipeline discharges some 2,500 to 3,000 cubic metres of treated waste water daily, while its permit allows for a maximum daily discharge of 6,000 cubic metres. The pipeline has grown in popularity among anglers, being a target spot during certain times of the year. While Acacia is constantly working to improve their methods, this reiterates that the treated waste water discharged out to sea is done under permit conditions and constant scrutiny from the relevant authorities.

Acacia reminded the community of the Environmental Hotline which is manned 24/7: 082-440-7207.

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