Kicking up a stink: row over sewage pollution blighting Cape Town’s beaches

A sign warning of polluted water at the mouth of the Diep River, where it flows out of the Milnerton Lagoon and Lagoon Beach, in Cape Town. Photograph: Rachel Savage/The Guardian

On a clear summer’s day in Cape Town, the Milnerton Lagoon was serene, reflecting the bright blue sky and Table Mountain. But there was an unmistakable stench, and up close, the water was murky.

A few hundred metres away, adults and children played in the water as it flowed into Table Bay. On the boardwalk, a sign read: “Polluted water: for health reasons, swimming and recreational activities are at your own risk.”