Shocking water statistics hidden by the Overstrand Municipality

Letter to the Hermanus Times / March 31

Title: Undisclosed statistics reveal shocking levels of pollution

While discussing the Hermanus Lagoon recently, a remark was made, that in twenty five years time the Klein River Estuary will be a large vlei, with the Klein River meandering through it .

 We may come to regret the day we laughed and dismissed this sad ironic joke, because we did nothing to stem the tide of the estuaries decay,  now being supercharged by sewage effluent and nitrate run off, due to archaic and outdated planning,  building and farming practices.

Studies have shown that there are approximately 255 functional estuaries in South Africa, the Klein River estuary is known to be the 5th most ecologically important. Found in the top 2% it contributes not only to essential marine biodiversity and direct fishery values but to inestimable economic values derived from agriculture and tourism which  may far outstrip the economic benefit’s we attribute to Whales.

On the 23rd November 2007 a report was published by Dr V.L. Hamilton-Attwell: Entitled REPORT ON SEWAGE POLLUTION IN THE KLEIN RIVER: FROM THE BRIDGE (R43) ON THE KLEIN RIVER AT STANFORD UP TO SCOUT CAMP (HERMANUS)

A summary reads: ‘The most important, source of pollution are the septic systems along the shore. All indications are that human impact and especially sewage management, must be targeted as the biggest pollution source. Along the estuary it has been ascertained that conservancy tanks are seldom pumped and that grey water is dumped in soak-aways and at some stands, all sewage is dumped directly into a soak-away.’

In January I managed to obtain, with great difficulty and only through the Access to information Act, the Municipal  water sampling records for the estuary and Grotto Beach. These records were previously published on the Overstrand Estuaries web site till March 2013. The site was discontinued and no results have been published since. We wonder why?

In December 2013 the Municipality sampled the estuary, in its customary bi-monthly water sampling program, in order to determine the level of faecal pollution. Intestinal enterococci (bacteria) one of the bacterial indicator organisms used to determine faecal pollution. 

The following figures for water samples were recorded for Intestinal Enteroccocci at the following sample points in the Klein River Estuary in December 2013;

Scout Camp:                        1940 cfu/per 100ml

Prawn Flats:                        3100 cfu/per 100ml

Hermanus Yacht Club:     5200 cfu/per 100ml

Stanford (Kings Street)     1100 cfu/per 100ml

The last flood (1:50 year) occurred on the 16th November 2013. These water sample readings were taken on the 12th and 19th December 2013.

The SA Water Guideline for Recreational water (2009) states a level in excess of 185 cfu/per 100ml as poor (unacceptable) with a gastro-intestinal (GI) health risk index of 8.5% .

The above water samples average well over 1000%  higher risk factor compared to the official health hazard levels, and in the case of the Hermanus Yacht Club, an unbelievable 2500% higher!

Grotto Beach still to come (approx 50 words)

Between 2010 and 2012 (three years after the Hamilton Atwell report was published) an audit was conducted amongst a group of property owners on the Klein River Estuary (Hermanus Lagoon) approximately 80% of the owners volunteered to participate, indicating the perceived severity of the pollution situation. Of those participating it was found that 80% of the tanks inspected were found to be faulty and beyond repair in many instances, furthermore the majority of these tanks and their soak-aways were found a few meters from the high water levels and a large number below these levels. Regardless of these efforts to renovate  the septic tanks, pollution continues to rise and any thought of converting to conservancy tanks was avoided.

Estuary water levels are defined as levels above Mean Sea Level (msl) It is said that the estuary should breach naturally at 3m above msl, furthermore that the official set back line for properties should be 5m above mean sea level (or in the case of the Coastal Protection Zone 100m, to be managed, regulated and restricted) 

In your dreams, none of this occurs, nor has ever been implemented !

Of further interest, the high water mark is now pegged at 2.6 msl, thanks to the expedient lobbying of home owners who have built too close to the high water level and suffer inundation whenever the estuary rises to the level it should and could rise. There are over 100 houses built below the 5m msl and the 1:50 year flood line on the river.

 With these water samples records now coming to light one can only wonder where the leadership will be found to put into place an estuary management plan (20 years in the making) that has regulatory clout and consequence that will effectively manage and rehabilitate the estuaries ecosystem?

We are reminded that should this be put in place we will not have to face the indignity of calling the Hermanus Yacht Club, the Hermanus Bird Club.