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COASTAL water quality test results from 1 October 2005 to 30 September 2006 have been released and show that the majority of sampling areas have remained within the specified boundaries. However, three areas on the Atlantic Seaboard do not make the grade.

The three areas are Three Anchor Bay, sampled off the north west rocks; Saunders Rocks Beach, tested from the surf zone off the beach; and Bakoven, with samples taken off the rocks in front of Bakoven Bungalows.

Abdulla Parker from the City of Cape Town's Directorate: Catchment, Stormwater and River Ma?nagement, says these areas could pose a danger for bathers as the faecal coliform bacteria count exceeds the limit and may result in the occurrence of gastrointestinal illness.

He adds, though, that people have varying degrees of resistance to diseases and it does not mean that everybody would be affected.

"But caution should still be exercised," Parker says. He explains that action is being taken by the city to warn the public of polluted areas, such as forums with relevant stakeholders in coas?tal water communities.

Other action includes ongoing communication and production of awareness materials such as signage, posters and leaflets, as well as a final annual coastal and inland report which will be made available to the public in a couple of weeks.

"In areas like these, warning signs are usually erected to warn the general public of the health ha?zards. In the case of the three bea?ches mentioned, the process is currently under way," he says.

In order to ensure that the city's beaches are safe for swimming, samples are taken fortnightly at various points on the coast and tes?ted for the presence of Escherichia coli, which is a bacterial indicator of faecal pollution in the surf zone.

While bacteriological water qua?lity criteria include physical, chemical, biological and aesthetic properties of the water, Parker explains there are two specified requirements regarding the faecal coliform limits for surf zones of bathing areas.

One is that 80% of samples taken in a one-year period must not contain more than 100 faecal coliforms (E coli per 100ml).

The other is that 95% of samples taken in a one-year period must not contain more than 2 000 faecal coliforms (E coli per 100ml).

"For a beach to comply, it has to pass both the 80 percentile and the 95 percentile tests," says Parker.

Results for the period of October 2005 to September 2006 have been evaluated according to the South African Water Quality Guidelines for Coastal Marine Waters.

Areas where the faecal coliform count remained within specified limits include Granger Bay, Mouille Point Beach, Rocklands Beach, Saunders Rocks Pool, Clifton Fourth Beach, Maiden's Cove in Clifton, Maiden's Cove pools, Camps Bay Beach and pool, Oudekraal Resort and Llandudno Beach.

Parker says there are continual surveys being conducted to understand and contain pollution in these areas.

However, he adds that unknown sources of pollution do impact on water quality and are more difficult to deal with.

Certain locations, situations and the time of year can also play a role. As an example, Parker points out that during the festive season, beaches are busier and visitors can directly and indirectly play a part when taking their dogs for a walk, which is why all dog owners must manage dog droppings on beaches.

Stormwater drains are other possible contributors, as are the rainy seasons, but pinpointing pollution sources can only be done by close monitoring and studies, he says.

"In general, and compared to previous reports, these three areas are not a cause for serious concern, but we do need to be holistic when defining areas," he says.

Parker concludes by saying that with the influx of tourists under way, incidents can be expected to increase and hence people all need to be vigilant and minimise pollution, especially in such areas.

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