Cape Town’s dirty secret: Daily cocktail of sewage, chemicals is fouling ocean, threatening tourism

A sea-cavorting social media influencer's"swimming in poo" video has sparked a much more serious problem for the tourism magnet that is Cape Town - its centuries-old practice of pumping sewerage into the sea is posing an increasing threat to its tourism boom. One of SA's leading water scientists, Prof Leslie Petrik, unpacks the issue with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

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Timestamps

• 00:00 – The Influencer in ‘Salty’ Cape Town Water

• 01:45 – Cape Town’s Raw Sewage Outfalls Explained

• 03:54 – Why the City Chose the Sea for Sewage

• 05:27 – Hidden Health Risks: From E. coli to Flesh-Eating Bacteria

• 07:10 – The Dirty Secret Behind Cape Town’s Pristine Image

• 09:24 – Outdated Science and Chemical Contamination

• 11:23 – Marine Life Contaminated: From Mussels to Penguins

• 12:56 – Ecological Damage and Fertility Threats in Marine Species

• 15:29 – Where in South Africa’s Waters Are Still Clean?

• 16:52 – Nationwide Chemical Pollution and ‘Forever Chemicals’

• 18:30 – Antibiotic Resistance Fuelled by Sewage Pollution

• 20:13 – What Citizens Can Do to Make a Difference

• 22:06 – The Slow Path to Fixing Cape Town’s Sewage System

• 24:36 – Reducing Household Chemical Use

• 25:30 – Is South Africa’s Tap Water Safe to Drink?

• 27:20 – Water Quality in Major Cities

• 28:07 – Persistent Contaminants in Cape Town’s Drinking Water