Water reuse
We are committed to ensuring that we won't have a repeat of the Day Zero drought scare. Water reuse is one of the ways that we are bringing new sources of water into our city.
About
With climate change predicted to significantly reduce the rainfall to our catchment areas, we need new water sources that do not rely on rainfall. The
2019 Water Strategy makes provision for multiple new water sources, the scale and timing of which can be adjusted based on unfolding events.
Planned water reuse involves augmenting the municipal bulk water supply with treated wastewater that has been further purified through an advanced water purification process.
View our video and Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (English |
Afrikaans |
isiXhosa) to learn more about water reuse in Cape Town.
Why water reuse?
We want to pursue water reuse as an important part of the diversified mix of new water sources to help secure our future water supply. Our dams may be fuller now, but it only took a few years to get from full dams in 2014 to almost reaching ‘Day Zero’ in 2018, because of the severity of that drought. We want to prevent that happening again.
Water re-use has many advantages:
- It costs about 60% of the cost of desalination
- Reduced environmental impact, as it doesn't require large dams, or draw water from the natural environment
- Advanced treatment technology has been tried and tested internationally and improved over decades
Is it safe?
Yes. Advanced purification is a time-proven, multi-barrier water purification process using sophisticated technologies and advanced monitoring and control systems to ensure the process is operating properly.
Samples from each purification step are rigorously monitored by independent laboratories and real-time, online analysis ensures the water complies with the national drinking water standard (SANS 241) as well as strict international standards.
See our Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (English | Afrikaans | isiXhosa) and videos for more detailed information.
Did you know?
A growing number of cities and regions around the world are implementing water reuse projects for drinking purposes. Windhoek residents have been drinking and using water from a reuse scheme for over 50 years. In Cape Town, water reuse is part of the new water system at Old Mutual’s large Mutual Park office complex, serving about 10 000 people every week day.
What is Cape Town's plan for water reuse?
Advanced purification demonstration plant
Cape Town’s
advanced purification demonstration plant at Zandvliet Wastewater Treatment Works, commissioned in 2019, produces up to 10 million litres of purified water per day.
This demonstration plant is assisting the City with developing expertise and capacity required to operate much larger production-scale plants in the future.
We are gaining these skills by:
- analysing and monitoring water quality results over an extended period
- consulting with local and international experts
- refining the design
- fine-tuning operating, maintenance, monitoring and management protocols
Water produced is tested according to the strictest international standards by independent accredited laboratories.
Proposed Faure New Water Scheme
Cape Town is preparing plans for a large-scale, permanent advanced water purification plant at the existing Faure Water Treatment Plant and reservoir.
The design is being guided by international experts, global best practice and experience gained from the implementation and operation of the local demonstration project. This advanced purification scheme will help keep our dams fuller for longer, to help get us through future droughts.
Download the Feasibility Report Summary Handbook.
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