Sewage Cape Town feud over state of city waters

On a clear summer's day in Cape Town, the Milnerton Lagoon was serene, reflecting the blue sky and Table Mountain. But there was a stench and, up close, the water was murky. A few hundred metres away, children played in the water as it flowed into Table Bay. Nearby a sign read: "Polluted water: for health reasons, swimming and recreational activities are at your own risk."

- Rachel Savage

"I woke up at midnight from the sewage smell," said Caroline Marx, whose home overlooks the lagoon. "They had this catastrophic pollution [in 2020] where the lagoon went grey, milky, it stank like you can't believe. And when it finally cleared everything was dead... Every time it recovers, there's another spill."

Marx, a former pharmacist, is part of Rethink the Stink, a citizen science group locked in a feud with Cape Town officials who, they claim, should do more to stop water around the city being polluted with sewage. The city has rejected most of its claims, accusing two members of being "longtime antagonists". It said it was spending billions of rand on infrastructure, including 7.2bn rand (£280m) on upgrading two wastewater treatment works.