Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, visited Strand Beach on 06 January. One of the affected beaches that were forced to temporarily close down.
The closure of these beaches was short-term. In the same breath, Lewis stated that these beaches have now been reopened and the issues that caused the inconvenience to beachgoers have been resolved.
These sewage spills were caused by blockage in the sewer pipes resulting in a sewer overflow. Reports state that plastics and other materials were removed and cleaned out in these sewer pipes.
Lewis mentioned during an interview with eNCA that load shedding is also one of the cause resulting in these sewage spills.
Acting Mayor Eddie Andrew’s also mentioned the cause of these spill as well as the need of electricity to help the City’s sewer pump station function accordingly.
The City’s sewer pump stations need electricity to function effectively and transport sewage to wastewater treatment plants where it can be treated, – he said.
However, with prolonged bouts of load shedding, sewage spills and overflows are to be expected, despite the contingency measures that are in place”.
