The City of Cape Town has introduced a new system, 'Cape Town Beach Alerts'—a source of information regarding the quality of coastal waters and beaches, which is becoming available ahead of the warm season.
According to City data, this platform provides current and long-term results from water quality analysis for all beaches and tidal pools along the Atlantic and False Bay coasts. The information is presented in a simple and easily digestible format.
The webpage includes environmental and coastal warnings, information on the operation of rescue services, weather forecasts for each beach, and much more. Alderman Eddie Andrews, Deputy Mayor and member of the City Council Committee on Spatial Planning and Environment, noted that this resource will change how local residents and tourists obtain the freshest information about the quality of coastal water in their favorite recreation spots.
The website interface is user-friendly, utilizing color coding and plain language, and also features a map indicating locations. A search function allows users to easily find results for a desired beach or tidal pool, offering a choice between the latest weekly result or a long-term indicator over 365 days.
Results are color-coded: green indicates compliance with recreational guidelines, red signifies two consecutive failures, and amber indicates one failure.
'Cape Town Beach Alerts' information is available 24/7. Residents and visitors can find out the date and result of the last water sample taken at a specific beach and whether this result complies with National Guidelines for Recreational Use. Data on the exact location where marine samples were collected for that beach is also available.
The system provides the number of samples taken over the last 365 days and the number of samples that met National Guidelines for recreational activities. Furthermore, it indicates the date of the last failed result. A table is available showing the dates and results of the last eight samples, as well as the long-term classification of the beach: Summer (October to March), 365-day period, and five-year data.
Information is also provided on the water testing protocol, i.e., the frequency of water checks at a beach or tidal pool, as well as whether there are active alerts for that beach. Users can learn about the daily weather and a three-day forecast, including wind direction and strength. The system informs about the presence and schedule of rescue services during the season, and whether the beach is a 'Blue Flag' beach during the season.
Additionally, information on water quality guidelines, frequently asked questions, educational materials on natural coastal phenomena, and other marine environment details are available. Eddie Andrews added that 'Cape Town Beach Alerts makes complex information about coastal water quality accessible to the public' and expressed hope that the website will become the primary source of information for Cape Town residents and visitors.
He reported that future plans include adding more features, such as dog walking information, coastal improvements, and marine life observations. Another feature users can subscribe to is push notifications via the City's mobile application. These notifications will allow for prompt alerts regarding any incidents or events affecting a beach or tidal pool, such as the discharge of a large pufferfish, the presence of a rabid seal, sewage spills, or whale sightings.
According to Andrews, this useful resource has arrived at an opportune time as summer is approaching. He expressed pride in this step towards increasing transparency, reliability, and simplicity in interpreting coastal water quality data for thousands of coastline visitors annually.
The City announced that it has a specialized team that travels along more than 300 kilometers of coastline weekly to take water samples from over 100 points for subsequent analysis. Coastal water quality is determined by enterococci indicators, which are recognized as the international gold standard indicator for coastal water quality concerning human health risks. All water samples undergo independent analysis in a laboratory accredited by SANAS for microbiological analysis of seawater.
Residents and visitors can access the webpage at https://beachalerts.capetown.gov.za. Additionally, the information is available free of charge on mobile phones through the City of Cape Town's mobile application, where users can register to receive push notifications.
