After relentless DA pressure, the Knysna Municipality has finally released the latest municipal estuary water quality report for September 2026, and the results paint a bleak picture. Our estuary is in crisis.

The impact of this worsening situation extends across our town, to every resident, fisherman, tour operator, restaurant owner, hotelier, worker and family whose livelihood and health depends on the Knysna Estuary.

This is not just an environmental issue, but a potential public health and economic emergency. We all recognise that when the estuary is sick, Knysna suffers.

According to National guidelines, recreational water may not exceed 500 E. coli/100ml, but the latest results reveal a devastating picture across our estuary.

Compared with September 2025, six of the eight recreational points have deteriorated.

1. Costa Sarda has exploded to 26,900/100ml, up from just 170/100ml in September 2025.
2. Green Hole, a place where many children swim, has risen to 1,010/100ml from 40/100ml.
3. The Salt River remains nearly 20 times the safe recreational limit at 9,500/100ml.
4. Crabs Creek has increased to 135/100ml from 4/100ml.
5. The Heads to 70/100ml from 29/100ml.
6. Belvidere to 16/100ml from 8/100ml.

Only Lake Brenton and Bollard Bay shows slight improvement.

At the culverts, the situation remains severe, with none being compliant. Bongani culvert has skyrocketed to 46,000/100ml from 7,200/100ml in September 2025. Queen Street stands at 10,000/100ml, Long Street at 4,100/100ml, KADA at 2,100/100ml, Train Station at 1,430/100ml, and Bigai at 690/100ml.

The total count across all sites has more than doubled from 49,227 in the last report (27 July 2026) to 101,987 in September.

Our tourism economy, our fishing, our swimming, our health and our marine life are all dependent on the state of our estuary. Additionally, the very popular and successful Chukka Festival, which is the town’s third largest tourism event, is again at risk due to the unsafe water quality.

The DA will not allow another season of excuses.

When in government, the DA will implement a clear plan to deal with pollution in our estuary.

Our 5P manifesto details clear actions to recover the damage done. We will declare a zero-discharge policy for the Knysna Estuary and compliance will be monitored through monthly water quality testing at designated estuary points, with results published publicly. We will fix and maintain the pumps to avoid estuary contamination.

We will partner with various stakeholders to implement an Estuary Recovery Programme with the goals of effective water quality improvements within two years.

We will commission an independent pipe condition assessment and prioritise urgent replacements. We will establish dedicated rapid response teams for burst pipes.

We will audit sewage pump stations within 30 days and publish the outcomes thereof, and implement a Pump Station Rehabilitation Programme. We will also establish a 24/7 Pump Monitoring and Rapid Response capability using SCADA technology, enabling the municipality to detect pump failures remotely before they cause overflows.

We call on the ANC-led coalition to immediately take action to arrest this pollution.

The Knysna Estuary is our greatest natural asset, our heritage, and our children’s future. It is not a dumping ground. The DA will continue to fight for a clean estuary because Knysna’s future depends on it.

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