Cape Town - The City has responded to concerns after the massive sewage spill at Zeekoevlei and the resulting high levels of E coli confirmed in the water body that forced the temporary closure of a portion of Zeekoevlei for public recreational use, from Pelican Lodge to Pelican View.
The source of the spill was traced to the Vukuzenzela pump station in Philippi, which was unable to operate due to the mechanical failure of pumps and an electrical failure caused by wiring in the panel that had burnt.
The Friends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei (FOZR) group was dismayed by the latest sewage spill into Zeekoevlei, especially considering how the continued spillage of untreated effluent affected the rehabilitation of the water body.
Siseko Mbandezi, the acting mayoral committee (Mayco) member for water and sanitation, said the pump station was restored on October 18 with one pump and a second pump was installed on October 19, while four vacuum tankers were also in place at the pump station to assist with managing the sump levels while repairs were under way.
“All stakeholders in this catchment, including the City and residents, need to work together to reduce the pollution entering this area,” Mbandezi said.
In accordance with the mayor’s priority programme, Mbandezi said a pollution abatement strategy for the bigger Zeekoei Catchment was compiled, which indicates how pollution will be mitigated with a combination of quick wins and short-, medium- and long-term strategic interventions.
Deputy mayor and spatial planning and environment Mayco member Eddie Andrews said the ongoing sewage spills into this system could affect the rehabilitation of the water body as it reintroduces the same nutrients which rehabilitation efforts try to address.
FOZR vicechairperson Tom Schwerdtfeger said: “The most effective steps that the City could take to reduce the occurrence of spills is to ensure that the telemetric system on pump stations is working, ensure that standby generators are installed at all sewage pump stations, and ensure that there is a 24-hour response team to deal with sewage spills.
“There is a 24-hour response team to deal with drinking water related issues, it makes perfect sense to have a team to deal with sewage spills too.”
Schwerdtfeger said the City has committed to replace and upgrade the necessary infrastructure but this process would take time and in the meantime he urged the City to implement the suggestions as soon as possible to mitigate the effects of load shedding on the environment.
“We have to stop sewage entering our water bodies. Until we are able to do so, any rehabilitation work completed will just see us through to the next pollution event,” Schwerdtfeger said.