Lack of staff blamed for Cape Town's beach pollution

AT LEAST 80 staff vacancies at the City of Cape Town's utilities department, especially in the waste water section, have been blamed for high E coli counts and "chronic" water pollution at several city beaches.

Democratic Alliance councillor Bertus van Dalen said an estimated 30 percent, or 80 of 171 of the waste water department's highly skilled posts, are vacant. This had a significant impact on service delivery.

"This results in a chronic pollution of rivers and waterways on the Cape Flats and a subsequent pollution of the sea water off our coast."

Van Dalen said E coli readings from Macassar Beach to Gordon's Bay in August were more than seven times above the norm.

The acceptable E coli level is not more than 2 000 per 100 millilitres, but readings from these beaches near the Sir Lowry's Pass River recorded levels of up to 15 000.

He said the water was being polluted by the waste water treatment plant in the area. In February last year, all of the beaches at Strand recorded increased E coli counts.

An inspection of Strand's beaches in August revealed that raw sewage drained into the Soet River which runs through the Lwandile and Nozamo informal settlements.

The river recorded a zero percent compliance which meant that sample counts for a 12-month period were above the accepted faecal coliform levels.

Reasons for the pollution included blockages of the sewer reticulation system.

Van Dalen said it was the shortage of skilled staff that affected the city's ability to perform to acceptable standards. He warned that the city's Blue Flag beaches risked losing their status because of the city's poor management of waste water.

Van Dalen yesterday asked the utility portfolio committee to investigate waste water's staff shortages and the impact the 80-odd critical vacancies has on service delivery. He suggested that the city's affirmative action policy may have contributed to the dearth of highly qualified staff.

"There are many people without work. Why has there been a chronic shortage of between 25 and 35 percent in the utilities department for many years?"

Three of four district manager options in the waste water.

section are vacant, while only one of three senior professional officer posts have been filled. All three positions for professional officers are vacant. There are 27 vacant posts for principal process controllers while 38 process operator positions have yet to be filled.

Mayoral committee member for utilities Clive Justus rejected suggestions that Van Dalen's questions be referred to corporate services and transport, roads and stormwater. "We expect an answer from this portfolio committee."

Cape Times

Posted at 09:25AM Feb 02, 2010 by Editor in Residential  |  Comments[4]