Recent data from the City of Cape Town's Inland Water Quality Report has raised concerns about a troubling increase in raw sewage contamination across local rivers and waterways. According to Cape Town Etc, the report reveals that the percentage of river samples posing an "unacceptable" risk to human health due to high E. coli levels has risen from 49 in 2019 to 59 in 2023.
The growing issue of sewage contamination poses significant public health and environmental risks. The increase in pollution has been linked to frequent sewage spills, often caused by vandalism and the misuse of infrastructure. Informal settlements are identified as a major contributor to the worsening situation, as they often produce contaminated runoff. Other contributing factors include power outages loadshedding, which disrupt sewage pump stations and wastewater treatment plants, as well as poorly maintained infrastructure.
Key sources of contamination identified in the report include sewage blockages, overflows, illegal sewer connections, and stormwater runoff. The rapid growth of informal communities has further exacerbated the strain on the city's infrastructure, making it increasingly difficult to address the contamination issue effectively.
