Sailing event rescheduled as sewage affects harbour

Dubai: Dubai Municipality has claimed everything is being done to protect the beaches from raw sewage as storm drains continue to spew human waste into the harbour of Jumeirah's sailing club, which was forced to reorganise sailing activity due to high levels of faeces in the water recorded by sampling tests.

Management at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club is calling for help as sewage spilling onto their beach and harbour has been relentless over the last two months.

Two members have even claimed they are suffering from amoebic dysentery after being in the water.

A dinghy regatta being held today has been moved farther down the coast to launch the boats from a clean beach, said Keith Mutch, DOSC manager.

Last week, sewage and black sludge poured out of the pipe several times, he said. "It's disgusting. It's happening every day. Once again the club and the harbour smell like a sewage farm... The harbour is black and stinks and the beach that the DM opened to the public is swamped with sewage and black sludge," said Mutch.

"I have again stopped all sailing and swimming on the beach. This will not stop unless that storm water drain pipe is shut down forever," he said.

Olympics sailing coaches are scheduled to coach at the club in December but this could be compromised by the state of the water, said Mutch. Companies involved in sewage removal in Dubai have been warned of severe punitive action by Dubai Municipality, including a Dh100,000 fine, if caught illegally dumping raw sewage.

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