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Camps Bay is one of Cape Town’s most popular beaches, a premier destination for visitors, and a recreational haven for locals. The water quality at this Blue Flag beach remains excellent based on ongoing water sampling, refuting misinformation spread by a social media account. 

Independent testing done weekly as part of the Blue Flag programme at Camps Bay continues to show excellent water quality week after week, and would not have been possible if raw sewage was washing ashore, as claimed by some.

Context:

Over the last few weeks a social media user has been spreading misinformation that lighter patches along the shoreline at Camps Bay and Green Point are indicative of sewage 

The City, on 19 January, undertook an open and transparent water quality sampling test at Camps Bay in the white discoloured area, and off Granger Bay. This is where the same kelp mucus was seen that was presented as sewage by a social media user on numerous occasions

The City invited a representative from the Camps Bay community, an independent civil engineer, and an independent marine scientist, to witness the sampling

The community representative even went with to deliver the six water samples at the independent SABS Laboratory for analysis.   

‘We received the results from the SABS for all six samples on the evening of Monday, 22 January. As expected, the results for all samples are excellent by global standards of coastal water quality.   

‘Coastal water quality sampling in Cape Town is done more often than at any other coastal city in South Africa. The results and supportive data are published on our website, and are accessible to all as part of our commitment to transparency about the water quality along our coastline.

‘Cape Town’s coastal waters are particularly rich and organic as a result of good health. The natural breakdown of kelp, algae and phytoplankton in our waters is very common and both have an unpleasant smell and discolouration. Foam on the water’s surface or on the beach is as a result of the organic matter breaking down, not sewage. 

‘I can therefore assure all that the white colouration at Camps Bay is not caused by any human pollution, but is most likely calcium carbonate leaching from the beach and nearshore environment,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.

Alderman Andrews added there have been instances of decomposing kelp, algae and phytoplankton – a common natural process in local coastal waters – being photographed and presented as sewage to the public. 

‘I want to caution the public to be weary of this misinformation spread maliciously by certain social media accounts, which is not based on scientific evidence. Our undertaking remains that where there is any basis for these claims, the City will not hesitate to take immediate action. Officials have been working 24/7 over the festive season, and still are, to ensure visitors and residents can enjoy our favourite beaches,’ said Ald Andrews. 

The City’s latest coastal water quality sampling results show excellent water quality for Camps Bay, and across key recreational beaches and nodes. The results can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3Z5EwDY

Camps Bay test results:

The water samples were analysed by an external accredited laboratory – the SABS Lab – for the number of enterococci per 100ml, the World Health Organisation’s Gold Standard for water quality analysis. The cut off is 180 enterococci per 100ml.

Submitted by the City of Cape Town