MYSTEROUS “electrical problems” caused sewage spills along the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) coastline, forcing the closure of two beaches during the crowded New Year period.
The Daily Dispatch was tipped off by Beacon Bay dentist Dr Hannes Cornelius about:
- An outfall pipe spewing sewage onto the rocks 60m from restaurants along Gonubie’s tourist-filled Deary Drive on December 30 and;
- Toilet paper strewn on Nahoon Beach on January 2.
Dr Cornelius said he called seven BCM numbers, some of them repeatedly, but no one picked up the phone.
The Dispatch investigated yesterday and was told that sewage spills also affected Buffalo River, which turned the harbour water a stinky brown, marking a clear line in the ocean where it met cleaner water off the harbour’s east pier near Orient beach.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese confirmed that Gonubie beach was closed to bathers and surfers on December 29 and 30 while the sewerage department addressed the issue.
“At Nahoon, we had a sewage spill reported in the early hours of the morning of January 1 by lifeguards and the sewerage department fixed it the same day.
“After two high tides, the beach was opened for swimming the next day, on the morning of January 2.”
Asked why the spills happened, Matebese would only say: “Both Gonubie and Nahoon pump station overflows were related to electrical problems which were immediately addressed.”
The dentist’s first encounter with the spills was when he tried to take his grandson fishing at the spillway at Gonubie point.
“My son said: ‘Dad, look here.’ He pointed out a pipe near the old slipway which was pumping all the time.”
Heavenly Pancake House manager Martha van Heerden said they knew nothing about any spill (about 30m away). She said they were unaffected.
Ashley Sparg, owner of Shelley’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop 100m away, said: “It was terrible. The wind was from the east and it was a problem.”
He claimed the municipal sewerage pump nearby had overflowed, and that BCM had responded promptly and fixed the problem that day.
Dr Cornelius said when he tried to use his favourite walking route along Nahoon Beach on Saturday, January 2, he found the high-water mark strewn with pulped toilet paper and faeces and the beach closed to bathers.
He said that on January 3 half of the beach closer to the Nahoon River mouth was open for bathing, while the portion from the Turdy towards Nahoon Corner was closed.
André Swart, chairman of the Buffalo City Ratepayers’ Forum, said he had contacted senior BCM officials and received no reply.
Sewage outfalls close two beaches
The Daily Dispatch was tipped off by Beacon Bay dentist Dr Hannes Cornelius about:
Dr Cornelius said he called seven BCM numbers, some of them repeatedly, but no one picked up the phone.
The Dispatch investigated yesterday and was told that sewage spills also affected Buffalo River, which turned the harbour water a stinky brown, marking a clear line in the ocean where it met cleaner water off the harbour’s east pier near Orient beach.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese confirmed that Gonubie beach was closed to bathers and surfers on December 29 and 30 while the sewerage department addressed the issue.
“At Nahoon, we had a sewage spill reported in the early hours of the morning of January 1 by lifeguards and the sewerage department fixed it the same day.
“After two high tides, the beach was opened for swimming the next day, on the morning of January 2.”
Asked why the spills happened, Matebese would only say: “Both Gonubie and Nahoon pump station overflows were related to electrical problems which were immediately addressed.”
The dentist’s first encounter with the spills was when he tried to take his grandson fishing at the spillway at Gonubie point.
“My son said: ‘Dad, look here.’ He pointed out a pipe near the old slipway which was pumping all the time.”
Heavenly Pancake House manager Martha van Heerden said they knew nothing about any spill (about 30m away). She said they were unaffected.
Ashley Sparg, owner of Shelley’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop 100m away, said: “It was terrible. The wind was from the east and it was a problem.”
He claimed the municipal sewerage pump nearby had overflowed, and that BCM had responded promptly and fixed the problem that day.
Dr Cornelius said when he tried to use his favourite walking route along Nahoon Beach on Saturday, January 2, he found the high-water mark strewn with pulped toilet paper and faeces and the beach closed to bathers.
He said that on January 3 half of the beach closer to the Nahoon River mouth was open for bathing, while the portion from the Turdy towards Nahoon Corner was closed.
André Swart, chairman of the Buffalo City Ratepayers’ Forum, said he had contacted senior BCM officials and received no reply.
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