Petition to The City of Cape Town - STOP THE SEWAGE POLLUTION
Cape Town’s waterways - Milnerton Lagoon, Woodbridge Island, and more - are being poisoned by raw sewage. This is a public health and environmental emergency. Our rivers, beaches, fish, and wildlife are at risk.
For years, communities around Milnerton Lagoon, Woodbridge Island, and other coastal areas have witnessed the deterioration of our local aquatic ecosystems, with sewage spills becoming an increasingly frequent occurrence. This is not only an environmental crisis but a public health emergency.
Sewage pollution poses significant risks to both human and ecological health. Raw sewage contains harmful pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause gastrointestinal illnesses, skin infections, and other serious diseases in humans. Children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are particularly vulnerable.
In addition, sewage releases introduce high levels of nutrients into waterways, leading to eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and oxygen depletion, which devastate aquatic life and reduce biodiversity. Fish, birds, and other wildlife are directly impacted, while the collapse of these ecosystems threatens livelihoods dependent on fishing and tourism.
