• Fish factory effluent at Paarden Eiland, Hout Bay and Witsands near Scarborough.
• Industrial effluent at Milnerton, Dido Valley (Simonstown), the Lourens River and the Steenbras River mouth.
• Sewage effluent at Green Point, Camps Bay, Hout Bay and to a lesser extent at Llandudno.
• Cooling effluent at Koeberg.

In addition, treated sewage effluents discharged to rivers in the CMA enter the sea at the Diep and Sout River mouths in Milnerton, the Zeekoei mouth at Sunrise Beach, the Eerste River mouth at Macassar and the Lourens River mouth in Somerset West.

Litter and other pollutants are discharged into the sea via stormwater outlets at numerous places throughout the CMA.

Pressure on sea water quality also results from accidents and spills.

This data shows that bacteriological pollution is reaching unacceptable levels in a few areas, particularly at Long Beach, Muizenberg Pavilion and Kalk Bay harbour beach in False Bay, as well as at Granger Bay, Three Anchor Bay and Hout Bay beach on the Atlantic coast. Particular pollution problems are associated with Kalk Bay as a working harbour. In the other areas, stormwater is the identified source of pollution.

Stormwater quality monitoring has shown high concentrations of faecal colliforms, particularly around outlets at Three Anchor Bay and Rocklands Beaches on the Atlantic Coast and Mitchell’s Plain East along the False Bay Coast.

Substantial improvements in water quality in 1998 were reported at Mnandi, Macassar and Gordons Bay, where the sea water quality guidelines are now met, with the exception of the Sir Lowry’s River mouth.

Unacceptably high levels of water pollution were also found at a number of harbours in the CMA during 1998. Oil pollution in the marine environment was found to be highest at Cape Town and Simonstown harbours.

Monitoring data also show that a large proportion of the plastic pollution found on the CMA’s beaches is from terrestrial sources. Plastic probably reaches the sea via stormwater run-off to rivers, from where it enters the sea and is washed up on beaches.

In 1994 and 1995, the South African Bureau of Standards limit for cadmium was exceeded at 11 out of the 26 mussel sampling sites along the CMA coastline.

Brown water occurs along the False Bay coastline. Although unsightly, this phenomenon is a harmless natural occurrence of single celled organisms, which provides food for fish.

• Exceedances of DWAF guidelines for faecal coliform counts in coastal waters (at 47 sampling sites).

The following indicator is monitored by Sea Fisheries, DEAT:

• Contaminant levels of heavy metals in mussels (at 26 sampling sites).

See a summary of all Indicators on this website

• The co-ordination of the preparation of Catchment Management Plans for the Khayelitsha Wetlands, Noordhoek Valley (Wildevoëlvlei), Kuils River, Black River, Sand River, Disa River and Big Lotus River catchments.

• The appointment of a consortium of specialist consulting engineers to undertake a strategic investigation of all bulk wastewater systems operated in the CMA.

• The undertaking of an Effluent Re-use Study.

• The monitoring, in accordance with DWAF requirements, of the level of nitrogen and carbon pollution in seabed sand deposits at marine outfalls.

Additional responses underway:

• The Cape Metropolitan Coastal Water Quality Committee (CMCWQC) is a voluntary forum representing local authorities and other interest groups. The CMCWQC, supported by CMC, reports the results of sea water quality monitoring at 47 sites on the CMA coastline. Responses coordinated by the CMCWQC include:

• Establishment of an Advisory Committee for False Bay.
• Establishment of a working group to address the causes of harbour pollution.

• Investigations by the City of Cape Town into the causes of water pollution at key sites on the Atlantic and False Bay coasts.

• Analysis by CMC: Department of Scientific Services, of beach sand from Hout Bay to determine whether fragments of glass fibre are washing up on the beach.

• The Mussel Watch Programme initiated by DEAT’s Sea Fisheries Research Institute in 1985 (now Chief Directorate of Sea Fisheries) includes the collection and analysis of mussels from some 26 coastal sites in the CMA. Mussel samples are currently analysed for heavy metals, including cadmium, copper, iron, lead, zinc, manganese and mercury.

• Do not litter or throw waste into stormwater drains.
• Do not throw chemicals and other harmful substances down the drain or the toilet.
• Report illegal dumping into rivers and the sea as well as pollution incidents, e.g. oil spills.