Polluted water causes divers to fall ill

Divers claim the water in Buffalo River is making them sick, but the Buffalo City Metro says it is monitoring sewage leaks closely.

IronmanSA spokesman Michael Flanagan said the 2852 athletes who had entered Sunday’s sold-out Ironman 70.3 triathlon did not have to worry about water quality because it was up to standard.

Kemp said the flow of sanitary pads, condoms and solid sewage coming past the moored yachts had increased in tempo in December, and had not slowed down.

Netherlands sailors Warren Elzinga, 58, and his wife Maria, 55, said they sailed into the harbour in their 34-foot sloop, Nightfly, on Thursday and could not open their windows because of the stench.

In their nine-year travels around the world they had come to know the stench of sewage very well, and the whiff on the Buffalo River was unmistakable. — mikel@dispatch.co.za

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