Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has three years to ensure that the water quality at Mnandi and Strandfontein beaches improves for it to apply and regain their Blue Flag status.
The Mitchells Plain beaches lost their Blue Flag status for the 2022/2023 summer season, as the water quality on the beaches declined. The beaches, which previously had Blue Flag status in the 2021/2022 summer season, are now Pilot beaches.
Strandfontein Ratepayers Forum and Economic Development member Andre Arendse, who questioned how the beaches initially qualified for Blue Flag status, said contamination of the water was seen along the beach at Strandfontein daily. He said the City downplays this as a red tide phenomenon.
Community services and health Mayco member Patricia van der Ross said Blue Flag water quality samples were taken at the precise area of the beach defined as the Blue Flag beach area.
She said this was not the entire beach but a designated chosen bathing area which she said was far away from any source of pollution as a designated bathing area.
Van der Ross said some of the key factors influencing water quality at a beach included the location the sample was taken at at any stretch of the beach and seasonality.
She said the winter rainfall had a negative impact and this was a common issue globally, which resulted in the discharge of large quantities of stormwater run off of typically poor water quality.
Wildlife and Environment Society of SA national coastal co-ordinator Tevya Lotriet said if a beach that had Blue Flag accreditation did not comply with the Blue Flag criteria, the flag may be permanently or temporarily withdrawn.
However, she said Blue Flag status was not necessarily an assurance that everything at the site would always run perfectly, but rather a management tool to ensure that when issues come up, there was a plan for mitigation, including adequate communication to users.
“The local authority must inform Wessa of re-compliance with the criteria and present the appropriate documentation needed. The flag can then be raised at the beach again. In the event that the local authority does not ensure and document re-compliance with the criteria, the Blue Flag is withdrawn for the rest of the season at the beach.
“For example, if a beach is consistently failing water quality or if a beach is consistently polluted and dirty – this can jeopardise the Blue Flag status,” she said.
mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za