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13 November 2014

Results of water samples: Swartvlei (thumbs up)

  • Placid water (0)
  • Swartvlei Caravan Park (63 per 100 ml)
  • Golf course (20)
  • Pine Lake (364)
  • Lakeside Lodge (0)
  • Outward Bound (197)

Results of concern were below the old age home (with a count of 3000 per 100ml). Knysna Municipality has communicated with the Eden District Health Inspector that took the samples to identify the point where they were taken. We are now in the process of identifying where the source of pollution is. As soon as the source of pollution is identified, the information will then be made available to all the stakeholders.

“Swartvlei is part of the Wilderness Lakes Area, a protected area now part of the Garden Route National Park. It is ranked 6th in the country for its richness in biodiversity. Its multiple water activities include canoeing, waterskiing, swimming, birding and visitors flock there for its sense of place” according to Bunding-Venter.

The Swartvlei system is 35 kilometers from George and about 30 from the town of Knysna. It is unique in the country and the world in that it is also situated in an urban area. Water in the Swartvlei lake is managed partly to prevent it from “inundating adjacent low-lying residential areas.” The method used for this is “periodic artificial breaching of the estuary mouth resulting in an exchange between lake and marine water.” It is breached when water levels reach 2.0 meters above mean sea level (amsl) and the Touw estuary between 2, 1 to 2, 4 amsl.

Last week SANParks said in a statement “the presence of E.coli at the mouth is not a valid reason to open the mouth of the estuary through breaching.” Eden District Municipality”s Disaster Management received an advisory on Friday, which was upgraded to a warning on Sunday of more than 100mm of rain within the next 24 hours (Monday through to Tuesday). SANParks has already made a preparatory channel at the Sedgefield Mouth and a Dozer to be on standby at Swartvlei from the Knysna Municipality– the current water level at Sedgefield is 1.54. SANParks will continue to monitor, and when the water level reaches the required level the mouth will be opened. The current level at the Touw River mouth is 1.72 but the sand level is more than 2m above mean sea level (amsl) and hence a preparatory channel will be made as soon as the machine is on site. When the water level reach the 2.1 m level within the Touw River, the mouth will be opened.

Enquiries

Nandi Mgwadlamba
SANParks
Tel: 044 302 5633 or 078 702 9663
Email:[email protected]