This was confirmed by tests after residents were alarmed at the physical appearance and foul odour of the Bokramspruit river that flows across the beach.
Bernard Jacobs, who runs waternews.co.za, a website dedicated to water issues, was contacted by a resident who complained about a "terrible stench".
"He stopped to investigate the river where it flows underneath Kommetjie Road," said Jacobs.
"He could tell by looking at it, and by the unmistakable smell of untreated sewage, that there was something wrong. We followed the river upstream, and in Ocean View we found a shocking situation: raw sewage flowing from manholes into nearby stormwater drains, and then into the river.
"One of the local residents explained that this occurs every few days."
Jacobs contacted an accredited water analysis laboratory which took samples last week from the Ocean View stormwater system and from points along the river, including at the beach.
Jacobs said the tests showed high levels of Escherichia coli, a bacteria that can cause serious illness.
"The results are shocking," he said.
"On both days we collected samples, these levels exceeded quality guidelines set by the Department of Water Affairs for recreational water quality.
"This is worrying as it poses a significant health risk to swimmers, surfers and animals using the beach and the river.
"Not all E.coli is harmful, but certain strains of it can make people very sick, causing severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. In extreme cases it can lead to kidney failure," Jacobs said.
They also tested for coliforms, a broad class of bacteria found in the environment and in human and animal faeces.
The presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water indicates harmful, disease-causing organisms.
In addition, the laboratory ran a heterotrophic plate count, a procedure to test the level of organisms like bacteria and yeasts, which is used to assess the safety of drinking water.
"In both cases the results were off the charts. Bokramspruit and Long Beach are very sick and need serious intervention," Jacobs said.
Residents of Gail Place, Ocean View, said the sewage system overflowed every week. "We've had problems before, but ever since people moved into the new Mountain View development it happens more often," said Carol Sanders.
"We phone the council and they come and unblock the system. But it only lasts a few days and then it overflows again. It starts with one manhole and then one by one the others start overflowing. After a while it all flows into the river."
James Steward, a surfer from Paarl, said: "Who cares? I've been surfing here since I was nine and haven't gotten sick yet. Besides, it's filtered by the reeds in the river."
But Errol and Bets Kotze of Fish Hoek, who are regular visitors to the beach, were more concerned. "Our dogs play in the stream where it runs into the sea. This is very upsetting. I am going home to take a long shower," said Errol.
Steve Pike, director of the conservation-oriented Wavescape Film Festival, said pollution spilling into the ocean was a massive problem in Cape Town.
"We are surrounded by water on three sides, and pollution is flowing into our oceans. It's an infrastructure problem that the city has to deal with as soon as possible," he said.
Patrick Dowling, a local resident and head of education at the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, said the water test results were "seriously disturbing".
"Occurrences may be more frequent now, but certainly predate the latest Ocean View developments, which have all been connected to the formal sewerage system.
"Given the increasingly stressed state of South Africa's waterways and the necessity of making every drop count, municipalities and government, working with NGOs like Wessa, will have to put serious work into problem prevention, compliance and education," Dowling said.
"That includes higher standards of water literacy for the whole population."
Simon Maytham, media liaison officer for the City of Cape Town, said the official with information about capital projects for the next few years was on leave.
"Finding out whether any kind of sewerage upgrade is planned . will be very difficult without him . [so] the city will be unlikely to comment until after Christmas."
Source: Sunday Times
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
