The Hermanus Yacht Club's intestinal entraccoci water sample (e coli contamination) is 2500% over SA recreational water guideline standard

Do the members and their families know,

 do the National competitors and their families know,

do the Foreign competitors and their families know,

does the public know about the water contamination health risk? 

Shocking statistics tell a frightening story of endemic e coli pollution in the Hermanus Lagoon (February 2014)

During December 2013 the Overstrand Municipality sampled the Klein River Estuary (as is customary in its bi-monthly water sampling program) in order to determine the level of faecal pollution. Intestinal enterococci (bacteria) is one of the bacterial indicator organisms used to determine faecal pollution. 

The following numbers are the results of the water samples collected for Intestinal Enteroccocci at the following sample points in the Klein River Estuary in December 2013;

Hermanus Yacht Club:     5200 cfu/per 100ml

Scout Camp:                   1940 cfu/per 100ml

Prawn Flats:                     3100 cfu/per 100ml

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% 
Some of the highest readings from the Hermanus Estuary (during this specific period of the year at these sites) represent over 1000 times higher risk factors compared to the official health hazard levels. 

 So why have none of these recordings been published and that a concerted NO SWIMMING program been put in place with signs and information, warning the public of the high health risks at these major tourist venues  (Stanford's Kings Street Jetty recorded 1100 cfu/per 100ml over same period)

The deathly silence and inactivity from the Counsel is nothing short of gross irresponsibility and shows a cynical disregard for the environment let alone the public at large.

Interesting clues to the reasons for the historic artificial breaching of the Klein River Estuary

Drag net activity in the shallows of lagoon 1938 aerial survey

Coastal populations in the Cape have depended entirely on marine (and esturine) harvesting of fish and shell fish. It is here that one looks for the clues as to how, why and when the Klein River Estuary was artificially breached by local inhabitants looking to exploit the lagoon and the inter tidal exchange of the water bodies that constituted a major nursery for fish populations.  

Aerial view of the Klein River Estuary mouth taken on the 23rd December 1938

There are stories told of fisherman and property owners digging the mouth of the lagoon open, from both sides at the same time and seeing who could open the lagoon first!

It is said that the traditional artisan fisherman from Gansbaai would dig the channel on the Eastern side, from where they had ready access on the Eastern side of the lagoon mouth. The White holiday property owners would dig on the western side when their houses were threatened with innundation from the rising waters of the lagoon..

 Poor estuary, no wonder its in such a mess!

'THE RIVER IS WITHIN US, THE SEA IS ALL ABOUT US'.

Writer RW Johnson lost his left leg to necrotising fasciitis - caused by a flesh-eating bacterium that invades and poisons the body - after cutting his foot on a rock in the lagoon at the Mpenjathi Nature Reserve.

Johnson has recounted his battle with necrotising fasciitis.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/articles/2009/07/14/clinging-to-rocky-crags-on-the-shore-of-life-and-death

 

The lagoon at the Mpenjathi Nature Reserve

Boats moored near Selkirk Bay (Prawn Flats)

Boats can no longer moor in the Western channel which ran in front of the camp site, due to the silting up of the channel caused by the artificial breaching on the Eastern side of the berm. Algae blooms can be seen developing.

THE WESTERN BREACH OF THE KLEIN RIVER ESTUARY AT HERMANUS

We have said this before and we will say it again, ad infinitum, that the natural breach of the Klein River is on the WESTERN side of the bearm. The Eastern breach position,also seen in this picture, is the historic ARTIFICIAL breaching position which has created a foot print seen in all aerial photographs of the estuary. This has been providing the stimulus for the knee jerk reaction we find in all the desk top, so called, scientific studies that pontificate about estuary function and river mouth positioning. Compounding, or perhaps even driving the pseudoscience is the expedient political lobby within the Overstrand municipality (treating the public like fools) who argue for the artificial Eastern breach to in fact protect the interest of Grotto beach's extent and its Blue Flag status, together with maintaining the artificial embankment created for the ill-concieved and totally unnecessary car park and picnic site.

CLICK ON PAGE LINK BELOW AND ADD THIS EVIDENCE TO THE RAGING DEBATE

http://truthabouthermanus.blogspot.com/2014/01/two-hand-painted-maps-show-historic.html

Two hand painted maps show historic channels in the Klein River Estuary

These two historic maps are on view in the Hermanus Yacht Club. They were painted in 1954 and show the Klein River channels and various depth sounding's along its course. It clearly illustrates the Western trajectory of the river mouth and the depth attained at high water conditions. These depths are shown as 19.3 feet at Tessel Baai and 11.1 feet against the rocks at Selkirks Bay - amoungst other readings.

INTERESTING!