Sewerage pumped in the Atlantic Ocean now at a critical point

The Facts around the problem, take a look and share with as many people as you can

http://www.wavescape.co.za/surf-news/breaking-news/call-to-action-on-sewage.html

or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEh5JpoH9qo

Would it be possible for the City to please share with the Clifton Bungalows Organization, Clifton ratepayers, the Camps Bay Ratepayers and the Clifton Life Savings Club updated information regarding

(1) the City’s testing results and testing frequency of the sea water and

(2) the City’s maintenance of the sewerage pump stations in the Clifton area

as summer is upon us and we would like to be informed and reassured that the sea water is clear, clean and healthy before venturing into the sea for a swim and for lifesaving training.

In Umhlanga the municipality posts daily readings on a public notice board on the beach the sea’s e-coli levels and related information.

With Clifton being a Blue Flag beach, we welcome the City of Cape Town being equally supportive of our swimmers, life savers, ratepayers and visitors, please.

Requests for reports regarding the sewerage fall-out in Clifton have not been responded to regrettably, and we seek your support in obtaining this advice from the City soonest, please.

Several blocks of apartments on the sea side of Victoria Rd. are experiencing terrible problems with the sewerage pipe smells affecting their health. Is the City replacing the aged sewerage pipe infrastructure on the sea side area, please?

There are reports from many property owners in the Clifton area adjoining the beaches (Moses to First Beach) that the stench from sewerage is causing health problems and that the main sewerage pipe running behind the apartment buildings along the sea is in need of replacement.

A further article....

http://www.thesouthafrican.com/planning-to-go-to-the-beach-this-summer-welcome-to-cliftons-sea-of-poo/


Planning to go to the beach in Clifton's sea of poo

Looking forward to going to the Cape Town beaches this summer, think again. e-Coli contamination may keep you at bay as 50 million liters of raw sewage is pumped into the Cape's oceans daily...

By Laura Bradfield -

 

November 20, 2015

If you think this environmentalism stuff is all crap, you’re in for a surprise. This summer when you swan down for your cooling swim in the Cape Town sea- Better prepare yourself with an antibacterial towel.

A short 1,7 kilometers out from Camps Bay, Hout Bay, and Green point, millions of liters of raw sewage is still being dumped straight into the sea. Green point, notorious for its fresh sh*tty smelling promenade, takes 30million liters of this waste out to sea. The rest is divided between Camps Bay and Hout Bay.

See the most recent photograph of the sewage plume in Cape Town.

With new reports coming in every year from UCT’s health faculty, Professor Edda Weimann; has warned swimmers of the dangerously high e-coli levels found at the swanky Clifton beach. Things are set to get worse this year as the population numbers have risen along with the level of sewage.

E-coli, for those who don’t know, is a bacteria found in feces. It is poisonous. It is dangerous for children and those with immune deficiency diseases to swim at Clifton-Dangerous as it might imaginably be, to swim in thousands of people’sfeces.

“People who swim at Clifton are at risk of thalassogenic diseases”, says Weimann. “This is the risk for contracting diarrhoea, skin infections, respiratory tract infections, and hepatitis”.

While a filter is apparently used to separate the big and bulky feces from the hard waste, the rest is still sadly being pumped into the ocean at high velocity.

Watch out if you are planning to go swimming in the Cape Town sea this year, it’s going to be sh*tty.

Go gently,
Be kind.

And another...

What’s Going Down Cape Town? Sewage Story Update…

http://www.sapeople.com/2015/08/24/cape-town-sewage-story-udpate/

Now that the deadline for comments and objections regarding the City of Cape Town’s application for a permit to discharge untreated effluent into the sea has closed it appears that things have gone quiet…

Despite Mayco Member for Utility Services Ernest Sonnenberg’s many statements to the press over the past few months that “the outfalls are properly functioning and do not pose a risk to the environment or beachgoers” it seems that this may not be the case…

Word in the diving industry is that the diffusers on the Green Point outfall are badly blocked and the City has appointed contractors to try and sort the problem out, which is proving challenging with the winter sea conditions.

This begs the question of how long this has been the case and why have inspection dives not been conducted at regular intervals to ensure everything is working as it should?

In any case the diffusers merely act as the “sprinkler on the end of the hosepipe” and don’t solve the real problem of putting toxic chemicals and untreated sewage in the sea in the first place.

On Friday last week (21 August 2015) I took journalist Martina Polley (“Waste water threat to Cape Town’s beaches” – Weekend Argus) on a flight to see firsthand how the outfalls are looking. The answer is BAD, about as bad as I have ever seen it!

Cape Town untreated sewage at sea:

Not an unusual sight on a flight over Table Bay… a huge plume of untreated sewage from the Green Point outfall rises to the surface and drifts for several kilometres.

There was a huge plume from the Green Point outfall over 2km long, and the Camps Bay plume was clearly visible and being pushed straight back into the bay and onto the (Blue Flag) beach by the current.

But don’t worry,  Ernest says it’s all fine…

Cape Town untreated sewage at sea

The Camps Bay outfall (see red arrow) with the plume clearly being pushed back to the beach by the current. Remember Mayco Member for Utility Services Ernest Sonnenberg? He’s quoted in the press as saying “bacteria levels are controlled by locating the outfall in such a way that transport of wastewater to beaches was virtually eliminated”… Look at the photo again and tell me you agree…!

JEAN TRESFON is a South African marine conservation photographer who specialises in aerial and underwater photography. He flies several times a week specifically to keep tabs on our South African marine wildlife and regularly assists the authorities with shark and whale spotting.

To see more of Jean Tresfon’s photos and updates:

www.underwaterimages.co.za

www.facebook.com/jean.tresfon

Sewage Outfall Camps Bay

AGM 2016 Agenda

•Welcome from the Chair•Apologies•Approval of previous minutes
•Chair's report•Councillor Shane Ramsay introduction & questions•Renaming of CBRRA•Election of Management Committee 2016/17•Marine Outfall From Camps Bay Beach
•Finance•Membership•Close 

CBRRA Public Meeting Minutes May 2016

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8awRkcBY1IVWVlRbHJIdU1lcUU

Cape Argus: City of Cape Town ‘bulldozing’ through developments

City of Cape Town ‘bulldozing’ through developments

30 May 2016 at 18:23pm

By: Helen Bamford

Cape Town - Civic organisations from across the city are becoming increasingly concerned at the cosy relationship between the City of Cape Town and private developers, saying inappropriate developments were being bulldozed through with objections routinely ignored.

Most don’t have the resources for lengthy court battles, but some, like the Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) Food and Farming Campaign, have approached the public protector to investigate alleged illegal practices, while others, like the Far South Peninsula Community Forum, are organising petitions to highlight their objections to over-development.

Patrick Dowling, who heads up the Kommetjie Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association and the Far South Peninsula Community Forum, said a participatory democracy was meant to be one in which inputs from the people were taken seriously in the decision-making process.

“The experience of many civic bodies is that, instead, it is perfunctory with top-down executive outcomes the order of the day.”

Cape Town Greater Civic Alliance chairman Philip Bam said they were very concerned about the unbridled inappropriate development over Cape Town.

Bam said there were suspicions that certain developers were favoured.

The city’s proposed plans for Maiden’s Cove have also come under fire, with Chris Willemse, chairman of the Camps Bay Residents and Ratepayers Association, describing the sale of the nature reserve as “a breathtaking example of a land grab of scarce public open space for private development and private enrichment”.

In a report back at a public meeting last week, Willemse described the relationship between the city and developers as a “very sweet and mutually rewarding” one.

He warned it was also open to abuse. “And abused it is in Cape Town.”

Willemse said developers were now driving the process, with the ruling DA simply doing the industry’s bidding in return for massive party funding.

He added that many of the developments were not in the areas of most need and were mostly inappropriate.

Willemse said the Municipal Planning Tribunal, launched last year, which rules on planning applications in the city, was filled mostly with development-friendly members.

Johan van der Merwe, mayco member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning, said the tribunal comprised some of the best independent professional planning consultants in Cape Town and experienced senior city officials, all of whom had been appointed after anopen, transparent and robust selection process. (exclusively by the Mayor and all DA/developer friendly …… my edit)

He said various other measures were put in place to ensure good governance with appropriate checks and balances.

Commenting on the city’s new Municipal Planning bylaw, which came into operation last July, Nazeer Sonday, who heads up the PHA Food and Farming Campaign, said the bylaw had virtually no public participation requirement.

Sonday said they were not against development. “But development for the sake of development does not support a productive economy.”

Dowling added that development proposals over the past several years had routinely been approved in the face of consistent and voluble objections from many residents’ associations around Cape Town who were seeking to “defend the urban edge, to urge caution aroundinfrastructure stress, to reject the aggravation of gridlocked traffic congestion and to protect valued heritage sites and key environmental assets”.

He said at a meeting the Far South Peninsula Community Forum had with mayor Patricia de Lille and officials in 2013, they were told it wasn’t possible to put a moratorium on development approvals until infrastructure issues had been sorted out.

Dowling said the thousands of signatures collected during their “Gatvol” petition campaign showed the public was not happy with the way this understanding and the commitment to “work with the community on these complex issues” had been implemented.

The petition, which was circulated on social media, calls for an end to “greedy over-development”, citing traffic congestion and lack of schools.

Professor Edda Weimann, a resident of Newlands Village, has also raised concern over unchecked development, saying the character of the suburb had changed in recent years.

She said the suburb, with its tiny streets, couldn’t cope with the “exploding traffic” and insufficient infrastructure.

Cape Argus

CBCRA Public Meeting agenda and message from the chair

AGENDA

Monday 23 MAY 2016 at 18h30 at THE ROTUNDA, BAY HOTEL

1               Welcome

2               Apologies

3               Chair’s introduction

4               Councillors’ report back

5               The City’s land-grab of Maidens Cove

6               Camps Bay Medics

7               Traffic

8               Name change for the Association

9               Planning

10            The Prep School & Bowling Club saga

11            Finances

12            Close

Message from the chair

Welcome to all.

Firstly, a big thank you to Maree Brink and the Bay Hotel who are always most generous with their hospitality – and special thanks here to Events Manager, Lloyd Brown and his team, for all of the arrangements, especially Rolanda, who has prepared the table tonight.

Elections for local government are soon upon us and it is the duty of the CBRRA to inform you of the performance of local councilors and the City administration over their past term in office. But I’ll deal with this later.

Rob Tiffin of the Zwaanswyk Ratepayers association and a civic organizer, has kindly agreed to share his thoughts and plans with us tonight and this relates to how we can best represent ourselves in the current system.


Unfortunately, Phillip Bam, a tireless fighter for civic rights in CT was unable to attend tonight. His experience of local government, especially concerning the land issues surrounding the attempted sale by the de Lille regime of the Princess Vlei area and the ongoing illegal incremental development of the Philippi Horticultural Area.

Also, Cllrs Jacques Weber and Marga Haywood are currently out of town and have sent their apologies. Neither will not be standing in the upcoming election. Cllr Demetri Qually, the Chair of the GHSC, is otherwise engaged this evening and also has sent his apologies.

Tonight’s meeting will take the form of a report-back of the most pressing and relevant matters pertaining to the Camps Bay civic landscape. We will keep it as short and to the point as possible and take questions after each item.
Of course, the committee will be available after the meeting to discuss any issues that you may have in more detail.

I’ll start off with an overview from the Chair:


MANCO MEMBERS.

The Manco thus is made up of the following members:

Chris Willemse (Chair) Ward Committee (74) and Planning
Richard Bendel (Vice Chair)  Membership and Finance
Brenda Herbert Planning and Events and CPF
Johan van Papendorp Planning
Gus Millner Membership
Alma Horn Membership and PR
Helet Merkling Clifton
Byron Herbert Beach and Events
Neil Gardner Maidens Cove Development
Michael Smorenburg Communications

The Manco is in great need of an additional planning member – someone who has technical experience and knowledge of the local government procedures and law. If you feel that this is you or you can suggest a suitable candidate, please let me know.

There is good news on the financial side, which Richard will deal with later.


In my opinion – and with twenty years of dealing directly with various City administrations – it is very difficult to rate an administration holistically and tonight I’ll confine my comments to the current de Lille administration:
On the whole, the administration adequately manages the line functions of services such as roads, stormwater and parks. Of course, the problems with sewerage disposal into the Atlantic Ocean is extremely problematic and the politicians are clearly ducking and diving this issue – to the utter detriment of the environment and citizens.
However, all – and I mean all - civic bodies throughout the City battle with this administration in terms of planning and land issues. This is, unfortunately, a regime that has, as its primary goal, a one-sided development (and developer) friendly policy.

One needs to unpack this approach: Firstly, it would be naïve to simply reject development, as it is an important part of the progress and wealth generation for any city administration and critical to its very existence. And from the political viewpoint, it is a no-brainer for a ruling party in that the planning approval process generates income for the City, the construction phase offers short-term employment opportunities and the completed buildings are a major source of rates. Developers are always desperate for opportunities and, with their often very deep pockets, are generous with party funding. So, all I all, a very sweet and mutually rewarding relationship.
However, this is also a relationship that is open to abuse. And abused it is in Cape Town. The political system has to be strong to drive the correct type of development, and this in the face of the paymaster developers simply want the richest pickings – and why not, from their profit driven point of view?
This is where the system and the DA have failed. Developers are now driving the process with the ruling DA simply doing the industry’s bidding in return for massive party funding. Mayor de Lille has a fast-track strategy for identifying City-owned land for development. However, it is not in the areas of most need and is mostly completely inappropriate.
The sale of the nature reserve at Maidens Cove will be addressed by Neil and is a breathtaking example of a land grab of scarce public open space for private development and private enrichment.
De Lille recently had to back down in the sale of Princess Vlei to a preferred developer due to massive public outcry and, despite a legal directive from central government specifically prohibiting it, de Lille is slowly rezoning and selling off the Philippi Horticultural Area. I must remind you that this area supplies about 70% of Cape Town’s green vegetable requirements. It is also located above the Cape Flat’s precious groundwater aquifer. None of this deters the mayor from grabbing this land for her friends in the development industry. And that, quite frankly, is scary.

To touch on the councilors, I would like to point out that both our councillors have served the area well – albeit in their own ways.
It is important to recognize that ward councillors are generally carefully controlled by the party caucus and cannot help much with the party’s major policy.
Marga has always been available to address planning issues but, sadly, the planning department has long been a law unto itself and now has political backing in high places. It appears as if she finally fell out with the senior party management and was instrumental in the successful court action brought against the City by certain Bakoven residents and the CBRRA.
Just to give you an idea of de Lille’s management style, in this case of an illegally approved bungalow plan, she entered into litigation with the community (using our money, of course) against the express advice of the City’s legal department. The matter was in court when she learnt that Marga was willing to testify on behalf of the community, which might have resulted in certain senior DA councillors being found guilty of perjury – so she immediately dropped the case and offered to pay costs. All this with other people’s money!
We will be reporting this abuse of process which resulted in fruitless and wasteful expenditure of ratepayers money to the Public Protector’s office. It has become patently clear that de Lille is very quick to litigate with taxpayers’ money in order to scare off challenges to her rule.

We had this in the Bowling Club matter, the Wynberg MyCiti matter and most recently in the Chrissie Phillip’s vs Bradbury matter, also in Bakoven. The former two cases were lost by the City, with costs.
I’ll keep you updated on the CP matter, where judgement is expected soon.

Jacques was extremely helpful in most areas, especially security – but bought into the DA’s line on expropriating public land for private profit and DA funding. In fact, he actively supported the sale of the Maidens Cove area, although the civic organizations in his ward were dead against it. Maybe he planned on staying longer in the DA than has actually happened!
I understand that he is headed for the commercial world.

We wish them both success in their future career paths.

Bearing in mind that the CBRRA is not a politically aligned body – and that Rob Tiffin is definitely civic based – I call on Rob to address us on his take on the political situation in CT.

Neil Gardner will give his insights into the Maidens Cove development.

Camps Bay Medics – Ian Austin.

Byron Herbert will update traffic matters.

Name change. Proposed renaming to Camps Bay & Clifton Residents Association. To be ratified at next AGM.

Planning. With renewed confidence in the Atlantic seaboard property market, the applications are increasing noticeably.
We urge all affected neighbours to contact the CBRRA if they are unsure about an application.

Eban Tucker reports on the CBBC CBPS saga.

Finance – Richard Bendel

Questions from the floor.

Proposed Recreational Water Use By-law

CBRRA - Byron Herbert	May 17 (1 day ago)
to Matthew, CBRRA

Hi Mathew

As per usual the city have many new bylaws which they wish to rush through and pass almost simultaneously and as such one has to be skeptical of how sincere these are to the well being of the general public, or if there are ulterior agendas, which one would hope to not be the case.

Taking a cursory glance at the two water bylaws ie the one relating to use of water for households and the other being use of water bodies for recreational purposes, it appears that they are creating even more avenues to prosecute people and generate fines, rather than dealing with the real issues of policing current by-laws and managing the water resource properly. A recent study was done and it showed that the average time it took the city to repair a burst council main was Days, and more recently a burst main in Hout Bay took them more than a month to rectify even after the councilor tried to get involved, a problem that was resolved in a matter of minutes when the burst mains team eventually came out.

It has in fact been suggested the increase in the water tariff was not so much to reduce water consumption, but rather to ensure the city didn’t loose revenue due to lower consumption, a very plausible argument.

On the Recreational Water Use by-law, what I did find rather puzzling is that they appear to want to create there own rules pertaining to Safety Officers (generally known as Life Guards), and rather than using the National body of South African Surf Lifesaving with their extensive knowledge and expertise, the city have the notion that they can do there own thing. Last season, aside from everything else the city employed a fraction of the recommended number of lifeguards and put the beach users at grave danger and had it not been for the dedication and passion of the active surf lifesavers and volunteers the drownings would have read like traffic statistics, and then on top of this I have been told that the paid life gaurds where instructed by the City “ not to report all incidents as this would negatively impact on the blue flag beach safety record” A truly bizarre approach.

Needless to say there are so many regulations pertaining to so many different things all thrown into two documents, and as a result its not possible to fully understand the impact of each one, and any ramifications, which I fear is the intent.

Kind Regards

Byron Herbert

(Office) 021 438 3888

(Mobile) 083 625 0430

(Email) ByronHerbert@CBRRA.co.za

CAMPS BAY & CLIFTON RATEPAYERS ASSOCIATION

From: Matthew Hirsch [mailto:matthew.hirsch@inl.co.za]
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 10:30 AM
To: Byron Herbert
Subject: Fwd: MEDIA RELEASE: News highlights from the Subcouncil 16 meeting held on 16 May 2016

Hy Byron 

This is the Statement that was sent out. Here is the subcouncil agenda. It is item 6, thanks. https://www.capetown.gov.za/en/CouncilOnline/Pages/ViewSubCouncilMeetingDetails.aspx?RecurrenceId=14869

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Media Account <Media.Account@capetown.gov.za>

Date: 16 May 2016 at 16:23

Subject: MEDIA RELEASE: News highlights from the Subcouncil 16 meeting held on 16 May 2016

To: 

CITY OF CAPE TOWN

16 MAY 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

News highlights from the Subcouncil 16 meeting held on 16 May 2016

Headlines:

·         Extracts from the Chairperson’s Report

·         Proposed Recreational Water Use By-law

·         Refurbishment of the Lightfoot Memorial Fountain

Extracts from the Chairperson’s Report

Water is a scarce resource and it is therefore prudent that the City of Cape Town better monitor and control water use. In order to align and provide for the control and regulation of water services in the City, it’s necessary to amend the current Recreational Water Use By-law. The draft is being tabled today and is open for public comment.

Included in the Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department report is a list of programmes and events that have taken place in the past six months in the Good Hope Subcouncil. It reflects an impressive number and range of activities and events.

Not often recognised is the ancillary functions that the City performs for activities and events that take place in Cape Town. For example, the Disaster Risk Management Centre plays a vital role in minimising risks and responding to disasters. Similarly, the Fire and Rescue Service does much more than putting out fires. Fire and life safety education and awareness activities form an extensive part of the department’s actions. In the first three months of this year, the Hout Bay Fire Station dealt with 106 medical and trauma walk-in patients.

The Subcouncil also says goodbye to a familiar official who has been with the Subcouncil for many years. Paul Kadalie will be leaving the City of Cape Town at the end of May after 35 years of dedicated service. I will be handing a certificate to Paul while he attends his last subcouncil meeting.  

Proposed Recreational Water Use By-law

The Subcouncil noted the proposed Recreational Water Use By-law which seeks to regulate recreational water use activities, thereby making the use of city water bodies safer.

The City of Cape Town has a number of water bodies that support a variety of activities such as yachting, canoeing, power boating, fishing, kite- and wind-surfing and model boating.

Not only do several formal clubs utilise these facilities, but they also support extensive residential housing components. A number of these water bodies are ecologically sensitive environments and are situated in nature reserves.

It has become necessary to align the By-law with national regulations for inland bodies.

Chapter 2 of the By-law deals with vessel compliance and safety as well as restrictions and mooring of vessels. Chapter 3 deals with fishing, prohibited ways of catching fish, and exemption for scientific purposes.

The By-law follows a participatory approach, making provision for advisory forums consisting of representatives from interested parties to assist with the management of the facilities.

The new By-law, if approved by Council and promulgated by the Western Cape Government, will make water bodies safer for all to enjoy. The Subcouncil has the opportunity to comment on the new By-law.

The new draft By-law aligns with the National Regulations for Recreational Water Use under the Merchant Shipping Act and the National Small Vessels Safety Regulations, 2007.

Refurbishment of the Lightfoot Memorial Fountain

The Subcouncil noted the presentation on the refurbishment of the Lightfoot Memorial. The Subcouncil support the commitment to incorporate a review and upgrade of the broader environment as well as restoring the 109-year-old memorial. The location of the memorial is the site of where Archdeacon Lightfoot died.

Various City of Cape Town departments, in consultation with the ward councillor, Councillor Dave Bryant, will steer the process to involve all relevant role players.

An update on the proposals and final plan will be submitted to the Subcouncil.

End

Note to editors: a high-res version of the above photo of the certificate handover to Paul Kadalie is available on request to media.account@capetown.gov.za

Issued by: Media Office, City of Cape Town

Media enquiries: Alderman Demetri Qually, Acting Chairperson: Subcouncil 16, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 487 2001 or Cell: 071 855 9554, E-mail: DemetriLance.Qually@capetown.gov.za

--

Matthew Hirsch

Atlantic Sun

Reporter/ Photographer 

0214884621