Sewage pollution in the City of Cape Town management areas has outraged residents.
One of the problems is caused by a pump station and deep-sea marine outfall pipe in Camps Bay that discharges sewage into the Karbonkelberg “restricted zone”, which falls inside the MPA and is near a Blue Flag beach.
This outfall is operated by the City of Cape Town.
The only “treatment” the sewage undergoes is the removal of the larger objects like rags and big plastic items, but the rest is sent out into the marine environment. Currently five million litres of sewage are pumped into the ocean off Camps Bay every day.
OUTA is investigating whether the City complies with discharge standards to ensure that the MPA is not damaged. We believe that the City is currently, in terms of management of outfalls, contravening existing legislation. This failure to meet the standards creates a massive environmental concern for Cape Town residents.
We believe that the City of Cape Town should be held to account regarding their breach of legal conditions regarding their Coastal Waters Discharge Permit and for their non-compliance of discharge standards or alternative wastewater treatment processes.
1. Non-legal solutions and engagement:
a. Take our own water samples to establish whether water is being contaminated. Engage with DWS and the Green Scorpions to act regarding the pollution. Coordinate civil society and environmental organisations in mobilisation advocacy campaigns.
b. Engage and negotiate with the City to improve its mitigation of the adverse effects on the coastal environment and to investigate workable solutions;
c. Present concrete proposals to the City to motivate the need for intervention.
2. Possible legal solutions:
a. Bring a judicial review application, to review the Minister's decision to award a coastal waters discharge permit;
b. Obtain a declaratory order on the City’s contravention of section 48A(1) of NEMPA;
c. Obtain final interdictory relief (a structured interdict) against the City for continuous breaches of section 48A of NEMPA;
d. Develop a criminal complaint against the City’s Accounting Officer and relevant officials due to pollution.
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