A vandalised sign at the entrance of Woodbridge Island in Marine Drive, which drew widespread attention from motorists and the local community, has been restored.
The sign was defaced by an unknown individual reportedly angered by the ongoing pollution issues in the nearby Milnerton Lagoon. The bold act, seemingly intended to highlight environmental concerns, sparked a flurry of reactions, shining a spotlight on the growing frustration surrounding the lagoon’s contamination.
The pictures of the sign changed to “Diepk@k” sparked various responses as social media users expressed their frustrations with the ongoing stench and questioned why the municipality had not yet resolved the issue, which has been raging on for years.
Marie Hurling, a resident says she has been dealing with this stench for years.
“I always read about all the interventions the municipality is taking to curb the pollution, yet it is still there,” she says.
The Milnerton Central Residents’ Association said the pollution has frustrated residents who wait patiently for the upgrades to the Potsdam Waste Water Plant to be completed.
According to residents, this is not the first time an individual has changed the signage.
Caroline Marx, director of RethinkTheStink, says residents are frustrated.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien previously warned that the City would correct the signage and there are penalties for residents found changing it.
“The City will take the necessary remedial action to rectify the signage. Any person found defacing City signage will be held liable for their actions,” he said at the time.
Lagoon visit
Sello Seitlholo, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, recently visited the Milnerton Lagoon.
He said data collected are indicative of extremely poor water quality, and suggest the presence of substantial inflows of raw sewage from the Theo Marais canal.
“However, the City is currently upgrading the Potsdam WWTW to the value of R5.2 billion and that the Koeberg Pump Station is also being upgraded and a new sand trap is being built which will greatly improve the water quality at the Lagoon. These investments are key to turning around the impact of pollution affecting this environment. Water is life,” he said.
Marx thanked the minister and said they pleaded for his urgent intervention and requested that they meet with him during the visit. “Despite the 2019 DWS predirective and 2020 and 2024 WC directive , the pollution in December 2024 has been among the worst ever experienced. The foul stench has residents complaining of symptoms including sore eyes, sinuses, worsening asthma, rashes and headaches due to high Hydrogen Sulphide levels. Residents health, the ecosystem , local businesses and lost job opportunities are all casualties,” she said.
Targeted interventions
Badroodien says there are various sources of pollution impacting the water quality in the Diep River, which make it difficult to implement sustainable solutions.
“However, the City of Cape Town is actively and collaboratively addressing pollution near Milnerton Lagoon with a series of targeted interventions with the aim of improving its water quality,” he told the newspaper.
Upgrading and maintenance are under way, including:
- Sewer infrastructure and advanced pipe-relining techniques with the rehabilitation of the collapsed sewer pipeline at Omuramba and Racecourse Roads successfully completed.
- As of 5 December 2024, the Phoenix pump station, in Joe Slovo, was switched on and has been operational.
- Other efforts include inspections of the sewer network to determine the origins of the various pollution sources in the Diep River, looking into methods to improve the quality of treated effluent, investigating the use of advanced technologies.
- Vacuum tankers are actively clearing contaminated stormwater systems to reduce pollution.
- Regular cleaning of low-flow diversions and vegetation management.
- In addition, the cleaning and repairing of the Primary Settling Tanks (PSTs) at Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works is taking place and due for completion around the end of February 2025.
- The City’s Water Demand Management branch re-isolated Joe Slovo within a Pressure Management Zone (PMZ) to reduce the amount informal wastewater, water wastage, and reduce leakages, which in turn will likely have the positive impact of reducing the volume of contaminated stormwater leading to the Erica Road outfall and Diep River..
