Whatshot
Durban Beaches are Safe
Durban Beaches are Safe
The Head of Water and Sanitation, Mr Neil Macleod clarifies the matter as follows:
"Every month a map is produced of water compliance based on the requirements of the South African Water Quality Guidelines for Coastal Marine Waters: Guidelines for Recreational Use (March 2012) which are based on the World Health Organisation values.
The guidelines use results over the previous twelve months to determine compliance. We sample beach water according to a schedule if at all possible, rain or shine. Between November 2011 and June 2012, samples were taken twice a week and thereafter twice a month in accordance with the requirements of the Guidelines. Approximately 70 samples were therefore taken during this period. Only three samples need to be above the prescribed limit for the beach not to obtain 95 percentile compliance. This is usually as a result of rainfall immediately before the sampling event.
Failure is therefore often as a result of a few poor results in the midst of excellent ones. When the median, or most likely values of E. coli and Enterococcus are used, a very different picture emerges. Eighty-six per cent of beaches show excellent water quality based on E. coli levels and ninety-five per cent when based on Enterococcus values. According to prevalent practice, we would be within our rights to exclude poor results that are obviously caused by an event such as rain, but we chose not to do so as we gain valuable information from such outliers.
The statement about E. coli and Enterococcus "causing" cholera is incorrect; they are merely used as indicators of water quality and are present at much higher levels than any pathogen would be.
The Vibrio vulnificus mentioned is a totally normal marine micro organism and is found randomly all over the world where the waters are warm and there is some nutrient. America expects approximately ten incidents with this microorganism per year, we have experienced two in seventeen years.
When the beach results over the last five years are analysed, it has been found that statistically, there is no significant difference - if there were no outbreaks then, it is highly unlikely there will be now.
Obviously, sensible precautions such as not swimming for twenty-four hours after a heavy rainfall event or when the water is markedly muddy should be observed here as they would anywhere in the world."
For more information contact Thabo Mofokeng on 031 311 4820 / 082 731 7456 or email MofokengThabo@durban.gov.za

