DA Shadow MEC for COGTA, Retief Odendaal, has criticised the closure of Brighton Beach by the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) due to untreated sewage containing dangerously high levels of E. coli flowing into the sea from the Fish Water Flats Wastewater Treatment Plant.
In a media statement on Wednesday, Odendaal said the crisis posed a significant threat to Nelson Mandela Bay’s tourism sector, which depends on clean beaches and safe recreational waters.
Odendaal also warned that the negative impact on eThekwini’s tourism industry from similar E. coli issues should serve as a cautionary tale.
Fish Water Flats, the largest wastewater treatment plant in NMB, was constructed in 1976 and has suffered from repeated operational failures.
These problems, exacerbated by vandalism and theft, underscore the critical need to upgrade this vital facility.
“This crisis is not just about infrastructure—it’s about people’s lives. Residents of Nelson Mandela Bay are being exposed to dangerous levels of contamination in their water, which can lead to severe illness and long-term health consequences,” said Odendaal.
“Families who depend on these beaches and rivers for recreation, fishing, or even basic water use are being placed at unnecessary risk. The human cost of this neglect is unacceptable, and every day that the municipality fails to act is another day that lives are jeopardised.”
Odendaal said NMBM’s wastewater crisis is not limited to Fish Water Flats.
The Kelvin Jones Waste Water Treatment Plant in Kariega, which discharges effluent into the Swartkops River, has also been plagued by failures.
He said bacteriological sampling along the Swartkops River in 2022 revealed E. coli levels as high as 1.9 million coliforms per 100ml, far exceeding the permissible level of 130 coliforms per 100ml for safe recreational use.
“Regular operational breakdowns have also been reported at the wastewater treatment plants in Despatch and KwaNobuhle, further exacerbating the city’s environmental and public health challenges,” said Odendaal.
He added that the municipality’s ongoing non-compliance has had severe consequences.
In 2022, NMBMM was fined R2.5 million for failing to meet environmental standards at Fish Water Flats.
The Green Drop compliance report for 2021/2022 showed that the city’s wastewater treatment works achieved an overall rating of just 58%, far below the required 90% compliance. Only the Rocklands treatment plant came close, achieving 89.3% compliance in June 2022.
“I have requested that the DA’s NMB Spokesperson for Infrastructure and Engineering, Cllr Dries van der Westhuizen, demand the Metro make monthly water quality test results for Brighton Beach and the Swartkops River public,” said Odendaal.
“Furthermore,I will also formally request the National Department of Water and Sanitation to investigate the December closure of Brighton Beach. Residents have a right to know whether municipal negligence knowingly compromises their health.”
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