Load-shedding blamed for sewage spills on two Cape Town beaches

Andrews said measures were in place to mitigate the effects of load-shedding such as equipping “priority sewer pump stations” with permanent generators to bolster plant resilience, having teams on standby with mobile generators to run smaller pumps and fitting all pump stations with telemetry equipment to monitor the sump levels.

“The city experiences daily challenges with inappropriate objects blocking our sewer network. The situation is compounded by load-shedding — particularly the sustained higher levels we have experienced.

“The impact is visible, particularly in our coastal areas, at a time when the beach is a very popular destination. We need to accept that pump station faults can and will occur, given the ongoing load-shedding, but I assure residents and visitors that, as a caring city, we address these issues as quickly as possible when they arise.