Durban — In an unexpected turn of events, the eThekwini Municipality announced the reopening of several beaches but later said two of the beaches would remain closed.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said that earlier on Friday, they advised on the reopening of several beaches. Among those were Laguna Beach and Thekwini Main Beach.
“Contamination levels at these two beaches are low enough to allow for safe swimming and other water sports, but they will remain closed until further notice as per the directive from one of our regulators,” Mayisela said.
“The decision to open beaches was taken after recent water tests conducted by experts confirmed that beach water is at an acceptable level for recreational activities.”
Mayisela said residents and visitors could enjoy swimming at Country Club Beach, Battery Beach, South Beach, Addington Beach, Point Beach, Bay of Plenty, North Beach, Wedge Beach, uShaka Beach, Umgababa Beach, Umkomaas Beach, Brighton Beach and Treasure Beach.
He said that in addition to Laguna and Thekwini Main beaches, Westbrook, Bronze, Umhlanga, Umdloti, Isipingo, Reunion, Pipeline, Toti Main, Warner, Baggies, Winklespruit, Garvies and Ansteys beaches were closed until further notice.
“The safety of the public is paramount, and we will continue to monitor water quality so that everyone can enjoy our beaches with confidence,” Mayisela said.
Around midday, Mayisela said more beaches were opened as water quality improves.
He said the city reopened more beaches following improved water quality standards.
“The decision to open beaches was taken after recent water tests conducted by experts confirmed that beach water is at an acceptable level for recreational activities,” Mayisela said.
He said that beaches that were now open for swimming include Laguna Beach, Country Club Beach, Battery Beach, South Beach, Thekwini Beach, Addington Beach, and Point Beach.
Beaches that remain open include the Bay of Plenty Beach, North Beach, Wedge Beach, Shaka Beach, Umgababa Beach, Umkomaas Beach, Brighton Beach and Treasure Beach.
Mayisela added that beaches that remain closed until further notice were Westbrook, Bronze, Umhlanga, Umdloti, Isipingo, Reunion, Pipeline, Toti Main, Warner, Baggies, Winklespruit, Garvies and Ansteys beaches.
“The municipality is continuously monitoring the water quality at all beaches to ensure the safety of residents and visitors,” Mayisela said.
Last month, the municipality reopened and closed a number of beaches due to water quality concerns.
Bay of Plenty Beach, North Beach, Wedge Beach and uShaka Beach were reopened.
Daily News