The City of Cape Town took the decision to temporarily close Strand Beach after a collapsed sewer pipe led to the spillage of raw sewage.
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On Monday, Carl Punt, the ward councillor for Strand, informed News24 that the primary sewer line, known as the Trappies, had suffered a collapse, which the City promptly repaired the previous Thursday.
Punt shared that City Health took preventive action by installing warning signs at Strand Beach. The sewage spill incident occurred while repairing the Trappies sewer line, mainly due to the substantial increase in sewage flow during rainy periods, particularly during peak hours over the past two months.
He added that in response to these sewage incidents, they diligently adhered to the required protocols to contain the situation and ensure the safety of the public.
‘The Trappies sewer line was fixed. City Health will keep notice boards on the beach area till the new test results confirm it is safe in that specific part of the beach where spillage did happen.’
‘They will put the following on the notice boards: Trappies sewer repair completed. Water testing is currently underway to reopen coastal waters for users,’ he said.
Zahid Badroodien, the City’s mayoral committee member responsible for water and sanitation, expressed the need for essential upgrades to the Trappies sewer line.
He said the existing pumps were inadequate to handle the substantial sewage volume, which resulted in sewer overflows.
The Trappies sewage line is one of the metro’s most crucial, as it serves as a critical bulk sewer line that covers a substantial area in the Helderberg region.
Health warning signs have been placed along the primary shoreline, spanning from Hibernian Tower to the Lawrence River, to alert the public to the situation.
The City urges the public to avoid the area as contact with the water could result in potential gastrointestinal issues.
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CoCT to spend nearly R80 million to rehabilitate Strand Trappies Sewer
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