Cape Town - Over 8 652m of water pipes and 26 011m of sewer pipes in various projects across Cape Town were successfully replaced by the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation directorate during April and May 2024.
The City said it worked earnestly towards its ambitious targets in the previous 2024/25 financial year of replacing 50 000m of water pipes and 100 000m of sewer.
By the end of May 2024 the City had successfully replaced 97% of water pipes and 78% of sewer pipes.
The City said it has invested R863.6 million for 2023/2024 financial year in a proactive infrastructure maintenance and upgrade programme, which ensured the future continuity of water supply and conveyance of sewage via the different reticulation systems.
Going forward, the City plans to invest just over R779 million into water and sewer pipe replacements for the new 2024/2025 financial year.
Work has taken place across several communities in Cape Town with water pipes replaced in Fish Hoek, Southfield, Ocean View, Sarepta, Kuils River, Summer Greens, Glenhaven, Bellville South, Brackenfell, Scottsdene, Newlands, Fresnaye and Hout Bay.
The highest number of water pipes replaced was 627m within Hout Bay.
Sewer pipes are also being replaced in Muizenberg, Constantia, Bergvliet, Tokai, Stikland, Scottsville in Kraaifontein, Bellville, Langenhoven Bellville, Parow North, Parow Valley, Parow, Richmond Estate Parow, Lotus River, Claremont and Morgenster, Brackenfell.
The highest number of sewer pipes replaced for May was 2 870m for the project in Morgenster, Brackenfell.
Replacement projects are identified considering various factors - this includes a comprehensive condition and capacity assessment to ascertain the existing pipe condition and to identify possible capacity upgrade requirements, as well as structural failures reported as service requests by the public and logged by depots.
Upcoming sewer replacement projects can be expected in Boston, Gugulethu, Bellville South, Wynberg, Plumstead, Blackheath, Wesbank, Eerste River, Khayelitsha, Somerset West, Strand, Belhar, Kraaifontein, Valmary, Sonstraal hoogte (Heights)/Vygeboom, Scottsville, Welgemoed, Bellville Tyger Waterfront, Vredekloof, Tableview, Melkbos, Saxonsea (Atlantis), Brackenfell, Langa, Athlone, Ravensmead, Panorama, Uitsig over the next few months.
Future water replacement projects in the pipeline include Hout Bay, Retreat, Simonstown, Glencairn, Kommetjie, Somerset West, Strand, Kuils River, Eerste River, Macassar, Bloubergstrand, Flamingo Vlei, Atlantis, Kraaifontein, Bellville, Brackenfell, Durbanville, Loevenstein, Churchill, Tygerdal, Bishop Lavis and Fairfield Estate.
Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien said: “Investment into proactively replacing ageing pipelines will remain a top priority for the Water and Sanitation Directorate as the new financial year kicks off.
“The targets will remain the same as R779 million has been set aside for water and sewer pipe replacement projects across the City.”