| Cape Town dam levels decrease to 99,8% | Dams supplying Cape Town have for the second year running crested the 100% mark | <p></p><p>Dams supplying Cape Town have for the second year running crested the 100% mark – this year sooner than in 2020, when dams hit full capacity in October. Prior to that, dams were last full in 2014.</p><p>Some residents have asked how the City calculates a capacity of more than 100%, and what happens with the excess water once dams have reached their full capacity. In terms of the excess percentages, the water depth flowing over the spillways translates to a volume of water temporarily stored behind the dam wall. A percentage exceeding 100% indicates that the dam is overflowing. Water that overflows goes down the rivers and is important for the ecological functioning of these water courses.</p><p>While the healthy dam levels are certainly something to be thankful for, we cannot afford to become complacent in our ambitions for water security, and reducing reliance on surface (rainfall) water. Cape Town is located in a water-scarce region, and our climate – particularly in Southern Africa – is proving increasingly unpredictable. </p><p>The City is enhancing its management of existing water supply, and it accepts the responsibility that it needs to step beyond its municipal mandate in terms of bulk water supply provision, as we did during the recent drought. In the face of rising temperatures globally, and erratic rainfall patterns, the City is pushing ahead with its New Water Programme, and realising the objectives and commitments laid out in the Water Strategy of building resilience and water security for this generation and future generations, come rain or shine.</p><p>As dams are now full, some residents might be questioning whether water tariffs can be lowered to pre-drought levels, when all households, both indigent and non-indigent, were provided six Kilolitres of water per month, at no charge.</p><p>Prior to the drought, water purchases by those using high volumes of water allowed for the first six Kilolitres of water to be subsidised. Water usage habits have remained significantly lower than they were before the drought, and there are very few customers today who purchase the volumes of municipal water that enabled a subsidised allocation. The changing circumstances placed the sustainability of the previous tariff model at risk, and left the water and sanitation service vulnerable to climate shocks. It was necessary to build resilience into the tariff model, while adjusting the price of water to a more cost-reflective level. For this reason, the City introduced the tariff model comprising a fixed component, and a (variable) usage component. This provides a degree of security to a sustained operation of the vast water and sanitation service. </p><p>It is important to keep in mind that the amount of water in our dams, which we share with several other municipalities, does not directly influence the cost of delivering the overall water and sanitation service.</p><p>The City would like to highlight the key points below, to further explain how water and sanitation tariffs are structured and calculated.</p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">The cost of providing the service remains largely the same regardless of how much or how little water flows through the system. Put more simply, the transporting, quality and reliability of the water supply must remain at the same standard, whether people are using a lot of water, or a little.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The water tariff is made up of a fixed part and a usage part. It is a model used by numerous municipalities all over the country and helps provide a reliable water service. </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The fixed/variable tariff model helps stabilise revenue streams so that variations in usage patterns, as with a drought response, service operations and maintenance programmes are not negatively impacted. The fixed/variable tariff model helps stabilise revenue streams so that variations in usage patterns, as with a drought response, service operations and maintenance programmes are not negatively impacted.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">If the fixed portion of the tariff model was removed, the usage part of the tariff will need to be increased significantly to compensate.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The service includes the treatment and scientific quality testing of water; operation, repairs and maintenance of infrastructure; and transport and treatment of wastewater.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The amount to be recovered to fund the service however depends on how much water is used by the customers.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Many Cape Town residents have sustained the water-wise efficiencies developed during the drought, and as such, water costs more per kilolitre on average compared to the period before the drought. However water tariffs are currently far lower than during the drought, with the 2021/22 Water-wise no restriction tariff a full 45% lower than the Level 6B tariff of 2018.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">City water (including sanitation services) costs approximately 4c per litre* compared to around R10 per litre for shop-bought bottled water (*based on first 10 500 litres used and 15mm water meter).</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Post-drought tariffs also need to absorb the cost of the New Water Programme (NWP), which aims to produce approximately 300 million litres (Ml) per day through groundwater abstraction, desalination and water re-use by 2030.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The NWP aims to build resilience to the effects of climate change, and future droughts, ensuring a safe, reliable water supply for generations to come.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The City has the lowest tariff increases for services of all metros in 2021/22.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The City does not budget for a profit from the sale of water and seeks to keep costs of service delivery as low as possible.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Residents who are registered as indigent do not pay the fixed part of the water tariff and receive a free allocation of water monthly.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Cape Town’s registered indigent residents are provided the largest water and sanitation allocation, at no charge to the household, in the country.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The City will continue to support registered indigent residents – comprising approximately 40% of households in the metro – with a monthly water allocation at no charge.</div></li></ul><p>More information about the City’s Water Strategy can be found here: <a href="http://www.capetown.gov.za/general/cape-town-water-strategy" target="_blank">http://www.capetown.gov.za/general/cape-town-water-strategy</a></p><p><br><strong>End</strong><br></p> | 2021-09-27T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| Council to consider appointment of consultants for Macassar WWTW upgrade | Zutari (Pty) Ltd to provide professional engineering consultancy services for a 32 million litres a day (Ml/d) capacity extension and associated infrastructure refurbishment at the Macassar WWTW. | <p>The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee has provided in-principle support for the appointment of Zutari (Pty) Ltd to provide professional engineering consultancy services for a 32 million litres a day (Ml/d) capacity extension and associated infrastructure refurbishment at the Macassar WWTW. The next step in the journey for the Macassar WWTW upgrade is to obtain Council’s formal approval, and this is an agenda item for the full Council meeting this Wednesday, 29 September.</p><p>As stipulated by the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), Council approval is required where a contract imposes financial obligations on the municipality beyond the three financial years covered in the annual budget for that financial year 2021/22. </p><p><strong>What to know about the Macassar WWTW upgrade:</strong></p><ul><li><div style="text-align:left;">The professional engineering services appointment for the major capital upgrade is anticipated to start in October/November 2021, subject to Council’s approval of the multi-year contract at their next meeting. </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Construction activities are anticipated to start in the 2023/24 financial year.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The upgrade is expected to be completed in 2027. WWTW upgrades are technically complex projects, and due to their complexity and magnitude inherently have long implementation timelines. Inflow cannot be stopped or diverted while construction work is under way, and the existing infrastructure must continue to operate and produce a compliant treated effluent during the upgrade process.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">The capacity extension will increase the plant’s treatment capacity from the current 34 million litres per day to approximately 70 million litres per day, at a value of approximately R900 million. </div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">Its current size serves approximately 250 000 people and will be doubled to approximately 500 000 people or more.</div></li><li><div style="text-align:left;">This large-scale upgrade was planned to be implemented sooner but was impacted by delays that occurred within the Zandvliet WWTW and Potsdam WWTW upgrade projects. These delays were caused by, inter alia, protracted tender appeals from unsuccessful bidders, and a lengthy land claim determination process. Constrained municipal finances limit the number of upgrades of this magnitude that can occur simultaneously. </div></li></ul><p>‘While delays to important capital investment projects are always frustrating, the City must work within the parameters of the MFMA. Mayco’s support of the contract is a welcome development in this process, with the next step being Council consideration. Should Council grant approval, the upgrade work can proceed through its project lifecycle as planned. </p><p>‘The upgrade will restore and increase the capacity on site to improve the quality of the treated effluent being discharged from the plant. Currently the Macassar WWTW is designed to process 34Ml/day but can only at present process approximately 28Ml/day. Its design capacity has been reduced due to a failed process unit, which will be repaired as part of the upgrade. While the average inflow rate at Macassar is 27 Ml/D, wastewater has become a lot stronger/full of contaminants than was expected when the plant was originally designed, and the nutrient load contained in the inflow exceeds treatment capacity. Although it will be a number of years before capacity constraints are resolved, stakeholders are assured that the City’s Water and Sanitation Department is making every effort to bring forward completion dates as far as possible. Over the next three years, almost 50% of the City’s R25 billion capital expenditure plan will be invested in water and sanitation infrastructure.</p><p>‘This investment into Macassar forms part of a wide city plan to upgrade WWTWs, which are a very important function in treating wastewater that comes into the plant from households, businesses and industries. The City is projecting a minimum R8 billion investment for major WWTWs upgrades over the next 10 years.</p><p>‘We want to thank our staff for their commitment and determination to see the Macassar Wastewater Treatment Works upgrade project become a reality that benefits residents and businesses in the catchment area. We look forward to celebrating more milestones at Macassar WWTW,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, Alderman Xanthea Limberg. </p><p>For more information about unpacking rules for approving developments in areas serviced by Macassar WWTW, visit this <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/Media-and-news/City%20to%20ensure%20sustainable%20development%20while%20Waste%20Water%20Treatment%20capacity%20upgrades%20are%20under%20way" target="_blank">link</a>. </p><p><br><strong>End</strong><br> </p> | 2021-09-27T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City advises of water supply disruption in Vanguard and surrounding areas | Careful consideration has been given to the planning of this work to ensure minimal disruption to the water supply in the affected areas. | <p>As part of pro-active maintenance on the Bulk water infrastructure to ensure continued water supply to the residents and in an effort to reduce unaccounted for water, the 300mm inline meter in Zenith Road in Vanguard will be replaced as it has been flagged as faulty.</p><p>Careful consideration has been given to the planning of this work to ensure minimal disruption to the water supply in the affected areas. Residents are advised to store water in clean, sealed containers for use during this period and to ensure that their taps are closed to avoid water loss and/or damage when the supply is restored.</p><p>This operation will ensure future continuity of water supply to residents.</p><p>The City regrets any inconvenience caused.</p><p><br><strong>End</strong></p> | 2021-09-27T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
| City advises of water supply disruption in Epping Industria 1 and surrounding areas | The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department is planning to shut down the water supply to Epping Industria 1 and surrounding areas, from Friday | <p>The meter has been flagged as faulty, and if not replaced, it will affect the City’s ability to monitor distribution of water within the system.</p><p>Careful consideration has been given to the planning of this work to ensure minimal disruption to the water supply in the affected areas. Residents are advised to store water in clean, sealed containers for use during this period and to ensure that their taps are closed to avoid water loss and/or damage when the supply is restored.</p><p>This operation will help ensure continued reliable water supply to residents and reduce unaccounted-for water.</p><p>The City regrets any inconvenience caused.</p><p><br><strong>End</strong></p> | 2021-09-27T22:00:00Z | | | | | | | 1 | | | |
