Milnerton Lagoon in Cape Town is at the heart of an ongoing environmental concern. Despite recommendations from provincial and municipal authorities to clean up this estuary formed by the Diep River, pollution levels remain alarming. Local residents have been complaining about the foul stench emanating from the lagoon for years, but recently the situation has reached a critical level, becoming even more unbearable.
Reports indicate that incidents of sewerage infrastructure failures have led to waste leaking into the lagoon. There have been reports of pipe collapses, leading to faecal matter being dumped into stormwater channels, which then flow into the lagoon. Even rehabilitation work carried out in October has resulted in faecal matter being dumped into the channels, making the situation worse.
The main source of pollution is the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Plant, which discharges over 40 million litres of effluent per day into the Diep River, located just 5 km upstream of the lagoon. Water quality tests reveal alarming levels of faecal bacteria such as E. coli and enterococci, well above acceptable standards. These findings highlight the plant’s failure to properly treat wastewater before discharging it into the environment.
The city authorities have undertaken a major renovation of the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Plant, with a hefty budget of R5.2 billion. Although improvements have already been noted, the final results will not be visible until the work is completed, scheduled for 2027. In the meantime, incidents of non-compliance persist, calling into question the effectiveness of the measures taken to address the pollution.
It is essential that local authorities step up their efforts to address this severe pollution problem which is affecting not only the local ecosystem but also the quality of life of residents. Delays in remediation works and recent failures at the wastewater treatment plant highlight the urgent need for action to safeguard the environmental health of Milnerton Lagoon.