Cape Town - The heat intensifies between the City of Cape Town and independent researchers of “Project Blue”, after findings from the citizen-led investigation revealed widespread contamination of sea water along Cape Town beaches.
The City has since hit back, saying the report falsely claimed to have used SANAS-accredited laboratories to analyse coastal water quality data.
Earlier this week, the Cape Argus revealed the findings by RethinkTheStink’s Project Blue, a limited, citizen-driven investigation into the seawater quality at selected beaches during November and December 2024, which showed widespread contamination in Table Bay, with 42% of sampling dates exceeding safety limits for E. coli and Enterococci.
Academics who were part of the investigation said they rejected the City’s claims with contempt and that residents’ health was being placed at risk.
Caroline Marx of Project Blue told the Cape Argus that while they noted the concerns raised by the DA and the City, they used certification via A L Abbott, the laboratory used for Table Bay analysis including Camps Bay and Clifton 4th Beach and that it was SANAS-accredited for both E. Coli and Enterococci in saline water.
They also attached certificates and added a separate laboratory. Vinlab, was used for False Bay analysis which was SANAS accredited.
“Project Blue acknowledges that Vinlab is not specifically accredited for Enterococci, however, this does not mean the results are incorrect and Vinlab stands by its results,” she said.
“In some cases, it simply means the laboratory has not applied for that specific accreditation.”
The City fought back stating they had checked the official SANAS website as well as verified the SANAS certificates provided by the two laboratories.
Deputy Mayor and mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, said they were confident in their investigation.
“This is at best a major oversight by the three academics named in the Project Blue report, or at worst, a major misrepresentation of the facts with the intent to mislead the public.
“The City has never claimed any coastal area to be risk-free.”
Dr Anthony Turton, Professor: Centre for Environmental Management, University of Free State and Environmental Advisor, who has been nominated for various global and conservation awards including that of a lifetime achievement with the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) said they rejected the City claims.
“The City is trying to frame the debate around whose laboratory is better,” he said. “This is myopic and entirely misses the point, which is centred on two pivotal issues.
“The first is a trust deficit between the City officials and society. The second is the unique complexity that the City deals with in terms of sewage management.
“That complexity is centred on the fact that sewage is discharged into three different aquatic ecosystems – rivers, lagoons/wetlands, and the ocean – in the Cape Town context.
“The Project Blue position is simple. We believe that 297 samples is adequate to deal with the level of complexity that I have explained above.
“That’s about one sample per site per week, which is simply incapable of mapping out the sewage risks from rivers, wetlands and the three MOPs.
“What is the human health risk assessment arising from sewage exposure that the City bases its policies and strategies on? Let this be made public.”
He said they called for a constructive dialogue with the City.