DIRTY BEACHES
By Hope Ntanzi
FINDINGS by independent water testing initiative, Project Blue, have found that Cape Town beaches are becoming more and more polluted.
The Fairest Cape is a major tourist destination, attracting mense from all over South Africa and the world, but now alarm bells are ringing over the status of the City’s premium Blue Flag beaches.
Project Blue has revealed troubling discrepancies between the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) claims of safe water quality and the reality on the ground.
In a series of rigorous tests conducted between 4 November and 6 December 6 last year, concerned citizens found that nearly 40% of sampled beaches exceeded safety limits for E. coli and Enterococci; two common indicators of water contamination.
This directly contradicts public statements made by City officials, including Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who on 15 December 2024, declared that “146 out of 146 samples” from Cape Town’s most popular beaches had achieved “excellent water quality” status.
Yet, Project Blue's findings suggest a different reality, with high bacterial counts recorded at several popular Blue Flag beaches, including Camps Bay, Clifton 4th, and Saunders Rock.
Renowned water quality expert Professor Anthony Turton confirmed the widespread contamination at key beach locations.
According to Project Blue’s report, water samples from Camps Bay showed high levels of Enterococci — more than 2,419 cfu/100ml — on one of the five testing dates.
The report also revealed alarming contamination at the Soet River mouth in Strand, with bacterial counts well above acceptable safety thresholds. In total, 42% of sampling dates at Table Bay exceeded the safety limits for E. coli and Enterococci.
Turton criticised the City, saying: “From a scientific sampling perspective, the testing protocol used by the CoCT is inadequate and misleading to draw the conclusions they have drawn.
“Therefore, it is erroneous to conclude that the beaches are safe to swim in,” he stated. He recommended that the City adopt more robust and comprehensive testing procedures to accurately reflect the contamination risks posed by sewage.
Caroline Marx, director of the RethinktheStink, which spearheaded Project Blue, echoed these concerns.
She says: "The results are deeply concerning.
“Widespread contamination was observed, particularly in Table Bay, where 42% of the sampling dates exceeded safety limits for E. coli and Enterococci. These are serious public health risks.”
Marx also noted that no visible signage or warnings were placed at beaches where contamination levels far exceeded the safety thresholds.
“We need transparency in water testing and better communication with the public,” she said.
Last week Friday, IOL reached out to the City for comment, and they indicated that a detailed response would be provided by Monday, but this did not materialise.