The Kouga Municipality has closed the Seekoei Estuary for swimming and fishing until further notice.
The decision was made after unacceptable levels of e-coli were detected in the water.
Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, said the estuary will be closed as a safety measure until the quality of the water has improved.
He says in addition, both the Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp Waste Water Treatment Works are not functioning optimally.
“The Seekoei Estuary has not functioned naturally for a while, due to anthropogenic (human) activities that have led to the alteration of the natural ecological function of the estuary,” said Bornman. “This has been exacerbated by extraction and irrigation dams located higher up in the catchment area, as well as the ongoing drought experienced in the area and the effects of climate change – such as changes in temperature and frequency of precipitation events.
“In addition, both the Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) are not functioning optimally. We are doing everything in our power to rectify this problem as quickly as possible,” he added.
The municipality will monitor possible sewage spills from private households and do bi-weekly tests.
