Cape Town - The City of City Town has advised residents that due to a pump failure at the Camps Bay Marine Outfall, Camps Bay Beach, Glen Beach and the Maiden’s Cove tidal pools will be closed to the public.
The City’s Water and Sanitation Department is currently attending to the pump station at the Camps Bay Marine Outfall which experienced pump failure at approximately 8pm on Friday, February 4.
This has resulted in the flooding of the pump station, rendering it out of operation, which has resulted in Camps Bay Beach, Glen Beach and the Maiden’s Cove tidal pools being closed to the public.
“Water samples will be taken at all locations to monitor the pollution. The beaches will reopen only when water sampling indicates a return to normal levels. Once pumping to the sea starts, the beaches are expected to be closed for at least two to three days,” the City said.
“Signage will be erected in the area at both beaches and the tidal pools, advising the public of the situation.
“It is suspected that the cause of the failure of the two main pumps at the Camps Bay Marine Outfall could be related to an electrical fault resulting from the frequent power outages.
“The Water and Sanitation Department team is addressing the pump failure and will do a full assessment as to the root cause thereof,” the City said.
“The teams have attempted to use vacuum trucks. Due to the huge volume, the sewage will have to be discharged from the pump station out to sea as a temporary measure. Pumping directly into the sea will also eliminate the sewage flow across the beach. This will enable the team to restore the pump station operation as soon as possible,” the City said.
Residents and businesses in the Camps Bay area and surrounds have been requested to reduce their generation of wastewater by reducing the utilisation of washing machines, and dishwashers and to only flush their toilets when necessary until further notice.
Residents are advised that the beaches and tidal pools will remain closed until further notice.
“All alternative measures to control the overflow were considered. We regret the impact that this will have on the environment and the inconvenience caused to residents and beach users.
“We will endeavour to ensure future preventative maintenance is prioritised to prevent such failures that may be caused due to reasons out of our control,” the City said.