CAPEXIT takes Milnerton Lagoon stench to City Council

Cape Independence Party (CAPEXIT) Councillor Karl Bodin addressed the City of Cape Town council on Wednesday 28.

In his speech, he raised concerns about the daily issues faced by the people of Milnerton related to water pollution in the Lagoon. He started by commending the City’s efforts to fund vital infrastructure projects. He then said he addresses the Council with a heavy heart, representing the anguish of Milnerton residents who have endured a toxic nightmare for over five years, with a sewage crisis choking them and their beloved lagoon.

“Imagine coming home each day to a stench so vile it turns your stomach. For Terry van Schoor, a heart patient, this is reality. She vomits regularly, plagued by respiratory disorders, burning lungs, continuous nausea, continuous flu-like symptoms, gagging, and relentless migraines”, said Mr Bodin.

He added that another resident, Michaela Gabriel, fares no better, as she is battling respiratory issues, vomiting, coughing, red eyes, headaches, and constant exhaustion. Mr Bodin said these are not isolated cases, as residents within a 1.5km radius of Milnerton Lagoon are suffering, their health stolen by toxic hydrogen sulfide and ammonia seeping from a lagoon drowning in sewage.

He said the City's photo opportunity at the unveiling of an air quality station reeks of disrespect towards residents and should be cancelled immediately.

“The data is horrifying. E. coli levels at Wooden Bridge hit 1.3 million, CFU out of 100ml, which is 1 300 times over the safe limit. Sewage from the Potsdam WWTW, and Koeberg Pump Station continues to pour into the lagoon, yet the City’s response is to delay. The extensions granted on Directives till 2027 and 2028 for critical upgrades, mock the pain of the Milnerton community. Where are the health warning signs promised to protect them? Where are the air quality test results pledged at public meetings? The 2023 remediation plan consists of failed aeration trials and dredging discussions, which are going nowhere. This plan has done little while raw sewage continues to flow,” added Mr Bodin

He said this crisis is more than environmental – it’s personal.

"Families watch helplessly as property values plummet, unable to find tenants or buyers for homes tainted by the lagoon’s stench. Residents feel abandoned, their trust eroded by the City’s silence and inaction."

He said the Cape Independence Party demands action to accelerate the Potsdam and Koeberg upgrades with round-the-clock work, and that the City to stop sewage inflows immediately. He also demanded that they erect health warning signs and release air quality data

"Every day of delay poisons our people and their hope. Milnerton deserves a City that fights for its residents, not one that leaves them gasping for clean air and justice. Act now and show that you care. The stench of elections looms," he said.

The City’s Water and Sanitation Department held its quarterly public meeting in Milnerton on Thursday February 27, to engage with residents on the various interventions currently underway aimed at addressing sources of pollution affecting the water quality of the Diep River and Milnerton Lagoon.

"The City acknowledges the frustration experienced by residents living near the Milnerton lagoon and is making every effort to find solutions for the negative impact on quality of life. Some interventions are already being implemented, while others are being investigated or are in the planning stage as we explore all viable mitigation options," said City's mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, councillor Zahid Badroodien.

"Air-quality monitoring and bioremediation pilot," the City said, "to monitor hydrogen sulphide (H2S) levels in the air at Milnerton Lagoon. A temporary ambient air quality monitoring station was installed at Woodbridge Island and commissioned on 26 February 2025. This follows vandalism of the City’s H2S monitoring station in 2023. Plans are in place to permanently relocate it back to the vicinity of the Milnerton Lagoon Canoe Club, once a protective steel cage has been manufactured to prevent further vandalism and tampering.

"City Health has no information on waterborne infections or illness linked to Milnerton Lagoon. The lagoon is not open for recreation, and signage is up warning the public about the risks of coming into contact with the water. If there are concerns about potential contamination as a result of contact with the water, these should be escalated by healthcare service providers and practitioners, as they have a responsibility to report all notifiable diseases, including waterborne communicable diseases, to the National Department of Health. Any such reports are communicated to the relevant health districts for further investigation and appropriate action. City Health is aware of complaints relating to the odour linked to the lagoon. In this regard, the ambient air quality monitoring, which commenced on Woodbridge Island in February 2025, has not shown any exceedance of the World Health Organisation's Ambient Air Quality Guidelines for Hydrogen Sulfide Health Effects Guideline level of 150 micrograms/24hr."

The next community update will be held on Tuesday June 10, at 6pm. The venue is still to be confirmed.