Cape Town is closely monitoring the Atlantic Ocean’s water quality after an emergency sewage discharge occurred due to pump failures at the Green Point maritime outfall on Wednesday, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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Zahid Badroodien, the city’s Mayco member for water and sanitation, reported that only one pump was functioning at the outfall, prompting the discharge.
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Following the incident, the city has repaired and reinstalled a second pump, bringing the total number of operational pumps to two. Badroodien emphasised that ‘this discharge occurred during peak operating hours as the remaining pumps could not handle the incoming volumes.’
To prevent future issues, the city is also beginning the process to procure an additional backup pump. Meanwhile, water samples are being collected to assess the situation.
‘Appropriate signage will be put up to inform the public, and we will continue taking water samples to monitor the situation closely,’ Badroodien stated. He also confirmed that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment has been notified, and a Section 30 notice has been submitted in accordance with regulations.
This notice, required under the National Environmental Management Act, mandates the responsible party to manage incidents and assess their impacts, as per News24.
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