The eThekwini Municipality has announced that 22 of its 23 beaches are safe for swimming after rigorous testing.
Only Reunion Beach remains closed, while the temporary closure of Warner and Winkelspruit beaches is due to high tides, not water quality.
After closing several beaches earlier this year due to high level of e Coli, the eThekwini Municipality has announced that 22 of its 23 bathing beaches are open and safe for swimming.
The announcement was made during an Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.
The re-opening of the beaches comes after rigorous water quality testing, the city said.
Musa Gumede, Deputy City Manager for Community and Emergency Services, emphasised the city's dedication to beachgoer safety, noting that stringent weekly water quality tests have shown no concerns.
Addressing the temporary closure of Warner and Winklespruit beaches, Gumede clarified that the decision was due to unusually high tides affecting the coast, not water quality issues.
In a bid for transparency, the city has partnered with water treatment specialists, Talbot, to verify beach water quality results. This collaboration aims to ensure accuracy in testing, especially since the recent flood disasters.
Kaunda praised the rapid replacement of old sewer pumps at Warner and Winkelspruit beaches.
However, he expressed concerns over some residents and businesses, especially certain eateries, improperly disposing of waste, leading to sewer blockages and overflows in parts of the city.
In June this year, several prominent beaches, including Bronze Beach, Umhlanga Main, Westbrook, Umdloti Main, Reunion, Warner, and Winklespruit, were closed due to high levels of e Coli.
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