Cape Town - Milnerton residents expressed their frustration at what they said was a lack of progress in resolving the issue of Milnerton Lagoon pollution with some demanding an environmental disaster be declared or threatening a rates boycott, during a meeting with city officials.
The city held its first quarterly meeting with residents on Tuesday night on the Milnerton Lagoon and the Lower Diep River Catchment.
The Milnerton Central Residents Association said the community expressed their frustration and dissatisfaction at the lack of progress in resolving the Milnerton pollution issue.
Some residents demanded that an environmental disaster be declared, a rates decrease or threatened a rates boycott.
“Core questions remain unanswered. What actions is the city actually going to take in the next three month to improve things?" the association asked.
“Potsdams has discharged effluent not meeting safety standards for four years and yet the city is still ‘considering’ temporary interventions until the upgrade (is) completed? (The) city will now be ‘reviewing’ the consultants report on the Erica Road outlet?
“While city has been investigating, considering and reviewing, the Milnerton community and the lagoon have suffered perhaps irreparable damage, both environmental and financial, over the past three years.”
A follow-up meeting is planned for November, where the association said they looked forward to a list of action steps with defined time lines.
DA constituency head in Blaauwberg/Durbanville, Cayla Murray said during the engagement the city unpacked their draft estuary management plan that includes short-term interventions to better the health of the lagoon.
“The estuary plan acknowledges that the catchment ecosystem collapsed and needs urgent intervention,” Murray said.
The short-term intervention aims to preserve the functional Rietvlei ecosystem by minimising disturbance and water quality impacts from the Diep River by installing a barrier.
The city also announced it is considering developments to install temporary package plants to address the significant pressure placed on local sewerage plants including Potsdam, as well as the pollution of the Milnerton Lagoon.
The temporary package plants will see the implementation of domestic wastewater treatment plants which individually can process up to 4000kl a day.
“Currently, Potsdam’s capacity stands at 47ml a day and its upgrade capacity will enable it to process up to 100ml a day by 2026. It was explained that there are upgrades across the City of Cape Town to wastewater treatment works as a part of its major capital upgrade programme. This is amid significant pressures faced not only at Potsdam, which serves the Milnerton area, but also Macassar and Zandvleit,” Murray said.
The city also said local reticulation will be taking place and that there will be increased pumping at the necessary stations during peak times to prevent spills.
Cape Times