CoCT replaces 29km sewer pipeline

The City of Cape Town has replaced 29 000 meters of sewer pipeline over the past financial year, which ended on 30 June 2022. This exceeds the municipality’s 26 000 metre target

Over the past financial year, sewer pipelines were replaced in several areas, including Muizenberg, Glencairn, Kalkfontein, Khayelitsha, Gordon's Bay, Eerste River, Kraaifontein, Wallacedene, Joe Slovo, Milnerton, Goodwood, Philippi, Gugulethu, Mitchells Plain, Kuyasa, Delft, Bellville, Dunoon, Milnerton, Joe Slovo/Phoenix, Makhaza, Cape Flats and Sweet Home.

The City says it considers various factors when identifying and prioritising pipes for replacement. These factors include doing a comprehensive condition assessment, which identifies possible capacity upgrades, structural failures reported/logged by the public and depots as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, which is a database that captures the municipality’s existing services information and includes pipe sizes, locations, manholes and house connections.

Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, said that the sewer pipe replacement target is normally between 25km and 28km per year, based on the approved budget. This year, however, they we managed to replace 29km of sewer pipeline.

‘’The City is budgeting to do more this financial year to invest in our sewer infrastructure. The City will be investing R150 million on sewer pipe replacements this 2022/2023 financial year, which almost doubles the distance covered from 29 000 metres to 50 000 metres in one year.’’

‘’We are spending R65m more this year in comparison to last year on sewer pipe replacements. Cape Town has more than nine million meters of sewer pipeline servicing properties across the city. This is about the distance from Cape Town to France by aeroplane. As a growing city, it is important for our Water and Sanitation Directorate to proactively maintain, rehabilitate, replace and upsize sewer pipelines to help provide healthy environments for our residents and help prevent sewer blockages and overflows,’’ he added.

 

Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis visited a team on Wednesday, to celebrate this milestone. City workers were busy installing new sewer pipes in Democracy Way in Joe Slovo, Milnerton.

‘’A key focus of this new administration is on better sewer infrastructure across the city, particularly in poor neighbourhoods where rapid densification has put huge pressure on our underground sewer network. Over the coming years, we aim to dramatically increase our investment in new sewer pipes, to improve dignity in Cape Town through better sanitation, and to support a constantly growing city. This year, our aim is 50km, and next year we want to double that to 100km,’ said Cape Town Mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis.

The sewer pipe replacement projects for the 2022/2023 financial year are planned for the following areas; Tokai, Dennedal, Sweet Valley, Bergvliet, Mfuleni, Delft, Khayelitsha, Strand, Wesbank, Kraaifontein, Bellville, Durbanville, Atlantis, Century City, Dunoon, Wallacedene, Milnerton, Gugulethu, Philippi, Maitland, Epping, Langa and Uitsig.

 

PICTURE: Pixabay

Done By: Mitchum George