Alarm bells are being raised about the Soet River contamination in Strand, which conservationists claim is developing into an environmental and health catastrophe.

“The severe contamination of the Soet River, which flows out onto Strand Beach at the end of Beach Road (close to the Ocean Breeze Hotel), is a rapidly accelerating environmental and health catastrophe for the area,” reads a joint statement by Dr Silvia Kirkman, Somerset West-based biodiversity conservation consultant, and Lisa Starr, founder of Helderberg Ocean Awareness Movement, Strand.

“The river ecosystem is functionally dead, and there is no marine life to be found in the rock pools at the river mouth. It is a serious health hazard for beach goers.”

The river originates in the Hottentots-Holland Mountains and runs through Strand, adjacent and under Boundary Road, and eventually into the ocean at the eastern end of Beach Road. For years, it has been highlighted as an area of concern (“Stench at Soet River irks many”, DistrictMail, 30 March 2020).

During a beach clean-up hosted at this part of Strand Beach in early August, Kirkman and others were alerted to the Soet River’s “bad condition”, owing to the milkiness of its water and its terrible stench. Soon afterwards aerial footage showed the river as a turquoise colour; the rock pools at the river mouth were also this colour.

“It was evident that something was seriously wrong with the river. Together with Lisa Starr, we investigated the source of this milky-blue colour by following the colour and stench upstream. We followed the colour and smell of the water, starting from the beach up to Boundary Road, Strand (junction with Naomi Road). At this junction the stench is so severe we literally nearly passed out,” she recalled.

Kirkman added the water they observed along the way was severely contaminated with litter, sewage and something that was causing the water to turn milky-blue.

“At the Nomzamo entrance the water canals are deeply filled to the brim with tons of litter as far as the eye can see. There is water beneath the litter and the stench is unbearable. It is a squalid slum, as there are no water and sanitation services to provide for the density of the informal population.

“Together with the lack of educational awareness of the population for their environment and water systems, the water canals are being overrun with litter and, more seriously, sewage, diseases and other chemicals. All this eventually enters the Soet River and flows out onto the beach and into the sea, affecting marine life and creating serious health risks for beach and ocean users.”

Outdated sewer systems in Strand

This contamination comes at a time where Strand beaches further west are experiencing serious sewage spills as a result of the collapse of outdated sewer system, Kirman further explained.

“The community has been advised to stay away from the beaches and sea due to health risks,” she said.

“Further investigations and water tests of the Soet River are underway to try to understand the severity of the problem and to find solutions. Nevertheless, due to the obvious crisis state of the river and the associated severe contamination of the river, beach and marine environments as well as serious health impacts, answers are urgently required to enquiries on short- and long-term plans to deal with this contamination.”

Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee member for Water and Sanitation, acknowledged that the rapid deterioration of the Soet River is caused by grey water and sewage from illegal informal settlements within the N2 road reserve, which includes Nomzamo due to a lack of ablution facilities. He added that the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is addressing the pollution through its Pollution Abatement Strategy and Action Plan.

“Efforts are underway to implement low-flow diversions to redirect contaminated stormwater back into the sewer system,” Badroodien said.

“It is anticipated that some of the illegal structures will be relocated as part of the Sir Lowry’s Pass River Upgrade Project and the new N2 Highway project. The murky colour of the water is the result of the greywater and sewage from informal settlements as well as sewer spills due to blockages.”

Monitoring and education

Badroodien warned residents to avoid contact with the water, as test results showed in the presence of E coli bacteria in the river system.

As part of the City’s plans to tackle the grim situation, he said there is consistent communication maintained with the Scientific Services Branch to ensure water testing is conducted regularly at the designated Soet River monitoring sampling points.

“This ensures the ongoing monitoring of water quality in the area, and it forms part of the monthly report of the Soet River Pollution Abatement Strategy Action Plan (Pasap). We have a dedicated unit in our Catchment, Stormwater and River Management Branch which, in collaboration with Green Jobs, is doing routine maintenance activities for the Soet River. Urban Waste Management is being incorporated into the project to help reduce dumping.

“Attending to the water and sanitation infrastructure alone will not improve the water quality results. The intervention requires a transversal approach. The main reason for the pollution of the Soet River is the illegal informal settlement upstream, just south-west of the N2. The stormwater system is carrying night soil and grey water”.

Asked to elaborate on what is the best way to educate residents of the informal settlements on keeping their environment clean, and what the City has done in this regard, Badroodien said they have initiated an inter-directorate collaboration of City services regarding public awareness and education communication campaigns about the impacts of pollutants on the health of human and natural ecosystems in communities.

According to the statement from the concerned residents, the Helderberg community has been using Strand beaches and sea for decades and the current contamination of beaches and sea by sewage and chemicals is unacceptable.

“It is a human right to a clean a healthy environment, to see people taking away their own rights is heart breaking,” the statement read.

“Not only is this affecting the direct community, but it’s having a negative impact on everyone and, most importantly, nature. Urgent action is required to address the crisis state of the degradation of the river and marine ecosystems and related health risks.”