PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Bitou Municipality's water quality has lately been under intense scrutiny, despite its historical achievements, including multiple consecutive Blue Drop awards and the platinum status it had attained in the early 2010s.
Following the severe flooding in May, bacterial levels spiked, resulting in elevated E. coli levels and water contamination concerns, prompting the municipality to intensify its water quality interventions.
The municipality has now reassured residents and visitors that Plettenberg Bay's Central Beach is safe for recreational use after investigations and remedial work successfully restored the water quality to the 'ideal' category.
According to municipal spokesperson Andile Amos Namntu, an elevated E. coli reading was detected at Central Beach on 3 July, prompting an immediate investigation into potential sources of contamination within the Klein Piesang catchment.
Municipal inspections identified blockages on a sewer line below Hanois Street, which were promptly cleared and repaired.
Additional faults within the sewer infrastructure in the Klein Piesang area were also identified and rectified.
Follow-up monitoring confirmed Central Beach had returned to ideal recreational standards in line with the Department of Water and Sanitation's South African Water Quality Guidelines. The latest results recorded an E. coli concentration of 42cfu/100ml, confirming that the beach is safe for swimming and other recreational activities.
While these interventions have improved the water quality, the municipality its said investigations into the intermittently elevated bacterial levels in sections of the Klein Piesang River are continuing. Additional upstream sampling points have been introduced to help identify any remaining sources. The municipality attributed much of the contamination to the severe flooding in May and June, which damaged sections of the sewer network.
Major infrastructure failures have since been repaired, while ongoing inspections and rehabilitation form part of broader recovery efforts. As a precaution, Central Beach was temporarily closed after the elevated reading on 3 July and was reopened only after follow-up tests confirmed acceptable water quality.
Residents and visitors are advised to avoid swimming in rivers, estuaries or coastal waters that appear visibly polluted, and to avoid contact with natural water bodies immediately after heavy rainfall.
Bitou Municipality said it would continue monitoring water quality throughout the catchment and implement further interventions where necessary to protect public health and environmental integrity.
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