Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning

With reference to the directives issued by the Department with reference to the Diep River, Flamingo Vlei, Rietvlei, Milnerton Lagoon and Zoarvlei water bodies:

(a)   What are the accepted standards of colony forming units (CFUs) for E.coli compared to the Department of Water and Sanitation’s threshold for (i) total suspended solids, (ii) chemical oxygen demand, (iii) ammonia, (iv) temperature, (v) salinity, (vi) hypoxic threshold compared to the dissolved oxygen level per mg/l, (vii) pH, (viii) biomass per mg/l compared to the bloom threshold, (ix) fish population, (x) bird population and (xi) macrofauna population, (b) what was the measured number for each indicator when the Department issued its first directive, (c) what improvement has there been for each indicator in each water body to date and (d) where the measured indicator exceeds the accepted standard, what health risk is posed to those who reside near these water bodies?