Cape Town - The City of Cape Town’s three wetlands have been reopened for intermediate recreational contact after months of closure due to sewage spills.
Zeekoevlei and Zandvlei have become the latest wetlands to reopen after their seven-month and nine-month closure, respectively.
This follows the reopening of the Rietvlei in Table View two weeks ago.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien said recent colilert E coli tests undertaken at the vleis, using the colilert E coli testing method by Scientific Services, showed comparable results, with the tests undertaken by independent accredited laboratories.
The latest results released by the City, taken on February 22 at three of the four different sampling points in the Zandvlei, showed E coli was greater than 100 mpn (most probable number per 100ml), while one of the sampling points recorded 630 mpn.
Results taken at Zeekoevlei on February 14 on seven sampling points showed E coli was greater than 100 mpn on five points, while two points recorded 100 mpn.
Friends of Zeekoevlei and Rondevlei (FoZR ) vice-chairperson Tom Schwerdtfeger said the organisation was happy Zeekoevlei had been reopened for recreational use.
However, he said it was concerned that only one of the four Archimedes Screws at the Cape Flats Waste Water Treatment Works (CFWWTW) was operational.
“FoZR had a meeting with City management last Friday, when we were promised that at least three screws will be operational by March 19.
It is vital that capacity at the CFWWTW is increased as promised before the winter rains set in to avoid more sewage spills in the future,” he said.
Director of the Centre for Environmental Humanities South at UCT, Professor Lesley Green, said the vleis’ reopening was a testament to the power of political will.
“The Lotus River is looking clean for the first time in years, and it's all thanks to the workers, officials and citizens who have done so much. If we can do this much together in a few months, imagine what can be done in a few years.
“Let’s keep working together in good faith, including the City to scrap its unconstitutional 2021 by-law that prevents independent scientific water testing,” Green said.
Badroodien said to promote transparency on water quality results and build an important trust relationship with stakeholders, the City would be communicating these on digital platforms.