Margate Beach open following sewage spill, lagoon remains closed

The seawater is now at an acceptable standard for recreational purposes, says Ugu.

Margate beach. Picture: South Coast Herald

Margate Beach was on Wednesday reopened to the public after test results received on Tuesday afternoon revealed the seawater was again at an acceptable standard for recreational purposes.

This is according to the South Coast Herald, which was informed by spokesperson for Ugu District Municipality France Zama and comes after he confirmed to the publication that there had been a sewage spill that had affected the beach and lagoon.

“The lagoon will remain closed. There has been a slight improvement in the levels of contamination in the river and we have closed the river mouth as a precautionary measure,” he said.

In a statement issued on Monday night, Zama said the spill had been detected last Friday and was thought to have occurred as a result of an electro/mechanical failure caused by an excessive silt buildup in the wet well of the pump station.

Rehabilitation on the pump station was conducted immediately, read the statement, with all the repairs being carried out on Friday after which the pump station was back online.

Numerous water tests were conducted on the river and these results revealed “a high level of E.Coli which is beyond acceptable standards for recreational water”.

As a precautionary measure signs were erected along the lagoon and the beach prohibiting any recreational activities along the river and beach.

The statement went on to say that an onsite investigation revealed that the river mouth was closed and this necessitated an emergency breach of the river, which was conducted on Sunday after permission was received from the department of environmental affairs.

The statement had said the lagoon and Margate beach would remain closed to swimming, bathing, and any other recreational activities until the level of contamination have been certified as being at an acceptable standard.

Sign boards were erected along the beach warning people not to swim and, according to the notice board outside the lifeguard tower, “bathing is temporary closed due to water contamination from the lagoon”.

Sign states Margate beach is temporarily closed. Picture: South Coast Herald

Signs indicating the beach was closed were erected. Picture: South Coast Herald

On Wednesday morning, the beach was reopened.

This incident comes after in March, Margate experienced another sewage contamination. It was at the Margate’s Nkongweni River and an audit report revealed that serious and urgent intervention by the Ugu District Municipality was needed to prevent an environmental disaster.

The Nkongweni River flows on to Margate beach and had to be breached by Ugu after a major discharge of sewage into the river.

At the time, Zama said the problem was due to pump failure, caused by a blockage in the drainage line of the pump station. This in turn caused flooding in the wet and dry well which resulted in effluent being discharged into the river.

Both Margate and Lucien beaches were closed for bathing and residents were urged to avoid contact with water in the lagoon and at Margate beach.

In an interview with the South Coast Herald in March, councillor Dave Watson said Ugu had reached an “engineering tipping point”.

“We are facing an ongoing water crisis, and over the years Ugu staff, audit and engineer reports have pleaded for more machinery, logistics and money. Don’t blame Ugu administration, blame the council for not identifying the problems. Why not scrap events like the Jazz Festival and start prioritising and addressing the real problems.

“Not once have we heard any Ugu official stand up and say: ‘We have a problem.’ Administration on many occasions has identified and reported problems to council but they have failed to address them and come up with a solution,” he added.

“Poor water and sanitation can singlehandedly take out the economy and destroy our social status and ultimately our environment.”