AN HOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN FALSE BAY, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Summary

An overview of the water quality status of False Bay identified the bacterial/viral water quality of stormwater and rivers discharging near contact recreation beaches to be the management concern of highest priority. A second water quality concern is the potential impact of nutrients being discharged into False Bay on the surf zone and bay ecosystems. Heavy metals, hydrocarbons and industrial chemical discharges into the Bay are not regarded as a serious water quality threat. Much of the future development planned for Metropolitan Cape Town will impact on the volume and water quality of rivers, groundwater, stormwater and wastewater flowing into False Bay; hence the need for an integrated catchment management approach to the management of the bay.

An assessment of the constraints facing the holistic management of the bay and catchment concludes that the four main concerns are: (1) a lack of key research information on the options for stormwater management, and on the loading and potential impacts of nutrients being discharged into the surf zone and bay ecosystems; (2) jurisdictional fragmentation, and the lack of coordinated policy and planning between different local and government authorities and other users; (3) legislative fragmentation; and (4) a lack of private sector and public consultation by authorities. Preliminary ideas on the structure of a management body for False Bay and its catchment which address the concerns listed above are presented.

Keywords:

• urbanisation
• integrated catchment management
• coastal bay management
• inland and coastal water quality