Pollution levels in the Klein River estuary at Hermanus are so high that they are 'off the chart' of what the laboratories are able to measure, states a Cape Times report
WHERE ARE THE 'NO SWIMMING' SIGNS AROUND THE ESTUARY WARNING ABOUT POLLUTION?
Fish have been washing up dead in the estuary since the start of December and are still dying. The water quality of the Bot River and Onrus River estuaries is also well above the maximum allowed for E coli pollution.
Rob Fryer, manager of the Overstrand Conservation Foundation, said yesterday: “The Klein River estuary is extremely sick and deteriorating. Testing by the Overberg District Municipal health department shows 100 percent of water samples tested over December and January were in excess of the standards.
“The laboratories can test only up to 2 419 counts of E coli per 100ml, and all the samples were at this level, which probably means they are above 2 419,” Fryer said.
The Department of Water Affairs states that the maximum level for safe recreational use of rivers and estuaries is that 80 percent of the water samples must be less than 100 counts of E coli in a 100ml of water, and that 95 percent of the samples must be less than 2 000 counts a 100ml.
Fryer said if a single sample had shown pollution levels of 2 419, he would not be concerned, but for 100 percent of samples taken over two months to be at the maximum the laboratories could measure showed the severity of the problem.
Fryer said people were still swimming and boating in the dirty estuary.
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