Cape Town: The marine outfalls at Camps Bay, Green Point and Hout Bay continue to meet regulatory requirements, with the latest monitoring confirmation that surrounding coastal waters remain within recommended limits for recreational use. These findings were presented at the latest Permit Advisory Forum on April 24, 2026 that reflected the consistent performance across all three outfalls, which is supported by ongoing environmental monitoring and independent verification.
Recently, the monthly monitoring session was conducted between January and March 2026, which shows that coastal water quality remains within recommended guidelines and the outfalls are not impacting on the recreational water quality standards at the Cape Town beaches.
During this period, 477 seawater samples were collected around the three outfalls as part of ongoing monitoring. Over 98% of samples complied with guideline limits, which confirmed that natural ocean processes continue to effectively dilute and disperse the treated effluent as designed.
A small number of exceedances (approximately 1.7%) were recorded, mainly within the immediate mixing zones along way offshore and close to the outfall discharge points, where occasional elevated readings are expected. For further oversight, the additional sampling was undertaken at the edges of mixing zones during the summer period to validate dispersion performance under peak conditions.
However, all three marine outfalls remained fully operational during the reporting period, with no environmental incidents recorded. Monitoring indicates that marine conditions remain stable and well oxygenated, while infrastructure continues to perform as designed.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien stated that they recognise the importance of maintaining public confidence through transparent reporting and continuous improvement. The latest results confirm that the marine outfalls are operating as required. While monitoring continues to be strengthened and infrastructure upgrades are under way.
Refurbishment programme and long-term solutions are under way. Work to upgrade and strengthen marine outfall infrastructure is progressing in both the medium and long term. The refurbishment contract commenced on January 14, 2026, with a construction work permit issued on April 16, 2026.
Approval of detailed contractor designs for pumps, screening systems and odour control is currently in progress, after which procurement and installation will follow. Civil works and water-proofing repairs at the Camps Bay facility have also commenced.
Parallelly, long-term treatment solutions are being explored. Over 60 potential options have been assessed and narrowed down to nine viable scenarios, which are supported by the development of a decision-support tool to guide further refinement.
Feasibility studies are well progressed, with full scope and overall feasibility, which is approximately 75% complete. A final feasibility report is expected to receive by September 2026, after which implementation will be guided by environmental approvals and budget processes.
Planned future phases include the introduction of full-scale biological treatment processes, that includes activated sludge bioreactors and sludge management systems, followed by advanced treatment to address contaminants of emerging concern.
The implementation of long-term options will depend on the outcome of the feasibility study and environmental authorisations as well as available budget.
Considering this, Deputy Chairperson of the Section-80 Advisory Committee – Councillor Alex Lansdowne said that the Permit Advisory Forum remains an important platform for oversight on marine outfalls. The latest findings confirmed compliance and also demonstrated a continued commitment to strengthen the scientific monitoring and ensures accountability.