As thousands of holidaymakers are expected to descend on Durban shores for the festive season, eThekwini Municipality Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda has assured visitors and residents that the city\u2019s beaches are safe for swimming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaunda gave his assurance as he officially reopened the iconic uMhlanga Rocks Whalebone Pier to much fanfare and public applause, just in time for the bumper festive season in Durban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaunda said the results conducted jointly with the Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology (IWWT) at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) revealed an improvement in the beach water quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe city\u2019s results sampled on 12 December, as part of its weekly routine testing, have also revealed that of the 23 bathing beaches, 20 beaches are e-coli compliant with acceptable standards for swimming and other water recreational use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe safety of residents and visitors remains a priority, and with constant testing, we want to ensure holidaymakers and residents of their safety. These results confirm an improvement in our beach water quality, as most are compliant with excellent and acceptable standards for swimming and other recreational use,\u201d Kaunda said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mayor said the city has a team of expert scientists who are hard at work testing the water quality at the municipal ISO 17025 accredited laboratory. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaunda emphasised that the municipality is transparent with the results, which are shared publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf there are poor results, the pollution team immediately traces the source so that remedial work is done to stop the pollution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city also conducts re-sampling to ensure the quality of beach water so that an informed decision is made on whether or not to close a particular beach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaunda said the city will continue joint sampling with an independent organisation, including the IWWT and Adopt-A-River, whose samples are tested by Talbot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe city does daily monitoring of all 23 bathing beaches to make an informed decision. However, for joint sampling, only selected beaches are tested, some of which are non-bathing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeaches that have poor water quality are closed, and the public is informed when the water at beaches has been tested and if they are safe for swimming. This routine weekly testing is continuing and conducted across all the city\u2019s 23 bathing beaches,\u201d Kaunda explained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The beaches that are open<\/mark> <\/strong>include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n The beaches that are closed<\/mark> <\/strong>include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirty-four swimming pools are open, and these include the Laguna Paddling Swimming Pool, which was reopened recently after it was closed due to infrastructural challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kaunda also announced that the repairs at the popular Children Amusement Centre swimming pool, which is along the beachfront, are expected to be completed soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said 65 beach guides will be stationed across the various city beaches to aid visitors, and an additional 160 seasonal lifeguards have also been deployed to beaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis attests to the fact that the city is ready to host a safe and memorable festive season for the anticipated 792,410 visitors expected to flock to Durban,\u201d Kaunda said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Increased police visibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n On safety measures, Kaunda said the city has beefed up its staff complement as well as increased police visibility at tourism precincts and along the beachfront.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFurther bolstering these efforts is that all Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the inner city are operational. Law enforcement will also be out in full force, with about 168 contract security personnel employed for the duration of the festive season, and the 62 new metro police vehicles will patrol the streets,\u201d Kaunda said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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