City of Cape Town Link

Water reuse

<h2 class="sectHeading">About</h2><p>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 <a href="https://www.capetown.gov.za/general/cape-town-water-strategy" target="_blank">2019 Water Strategy</a> makes provision for multiple new water sources, the scale and timing of which can be adjusted based on unfolding events. </p><p>Planned water reuse involves augmenting the municipal bulk water supply with treated wastewater that has been further purified through an advanced water purification process.</p><p> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L9cI9FARqY&list=PLQZ9ZqJptobcOioU6pFdmE80ZbddT7FJF&index=1" target="_blank">View our video</a><i class="icon link-external"></i> and Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT_Water_Reuse_Booklet.pdf" target="_blank">English</a> | <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT_Water_reuse_booklet_Afr.pdf" target="_blank">Afrikaans</a> | <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT_Water_reuse_booklet_Xhosa.pdf" target="_blank">isiXhosa</a>) to learn more about water reuse in Cape Town.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Why water reuse?</h2><p> The City wants 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.</p><h4>Water re-use has many advantages:</h4><ul><li>It costs about 60% of what desalination costs</li><li>Reduced environmental impact as it doesn't require large dams, or draw water from the natural environment</li><li>Advanced treatment technology has been tried and tested internationally and improved over decades</li></ul><div><div class="notification with-heading dark-copy light-blue bg-light-grey"><div class="graphic with-border"> <i class="info fastfact"></i></div><div class="desc"><h4>Did you know?</h4><div>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.</div></div></div></div><h2 class="sectHeading">What is Cape Town's plan for water reuse?</h2><h4> Advanced purification demonstration plant</h4><p>Cape Town’s <a href="https://youtu.be/Xfh_c--7JHQ" target="_blank">advanced purification demonstration plant<i class="icon link-external"></i></a> at Zandvliet Wastewater Treatment Works, commissioned in 2019, produces up to 10 million litres of purified water per day.</p><p>This demonstration plant is assisting the City with developing expertise and capacity required to operate much larger production-scale plants in the future. </p><h4>The City is gaining these skills by:</h4><ul><li>analysing and monitoring water quality results over an extended period</li><li>consulting with local and international experts</li><li>refining the design</li><li>fine-tuning operating, maintenance, monitoring and management protocols</li></ul><p>Water produced is tested according to the strictest international standards by independent accredited laboratories.</p><h4>Proposed Faure New Water Scheme</h4><p>Cape Town is preparing plans for a large-scale, permanent advanced water purification plant at the existing Faure Water Treatment Plant and reservoir. </p><p>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.</p><h2 class="sectHeading">Is it safe?</h2><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>See our Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (<a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT_Water_Reuse_Booklet.pdf" target="_blank">English </a>| <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT_Water_reuse_booklet_Afr.pdf" target="_blank">Afrikaans</a> | <a href="https://resource.capetown.gov.za/documentcentre/Documents/Graphics%20and%20educational%20material/CCT_Water_reuse_booklet_Xhosa.pdf" target="_blank">isiXhosa</a>) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQZ9ZqJptobcOioU6pFdmE80ZbddT7FJF" target="_blank">videos <i class="icon link-external"> </i></a>for more detailed information.</p>

Water reuse is one of the ways that we are bringing new sources of water into our supply network.

Indicative Distribution Zone for Permanent Plant - Faure New Water Scheme	770513	GP0\|#816346e9-401b-4120-ab33-f8b010e35cd1;L0\|#0816346e9-401b-4120-ab33-f8b010e35cd1\|Map;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#2ee73080-1b32-4320-889d-034e60d31b3a;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-09T22:00:00Z
Indicative Distribution Zone for Temporary Water Reuse Demonstration Plant	2381307	GP0\|#816346e9-401b-4120-ab33-f8b010e35cd1;L0\|#0816346e9-401b-4120-ab33-f8b010e35cd1\|Map;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#2ee73080-1b32-4320-889d-034e60d31b3a;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-09T22:00:00Z
Water Reuse 2021 FAQs	541873	GP0\|#7d9df7be-4d49-4007-95e2-153219f9c783;L0\|#07d9df7be-4d49-4007-95e2-153219f9c783\|FAQs;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#d8892104-ce90-493e-b813-93c488f4b1d3;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-24T22:00:00Z
Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (Afrikaans)	1536547	GP0\|#5702b03d-251a-4a3f-8243-b5b3f7bb764a;L0\|#05702b03d-251a-4a3f-8243-b5b3f7bb764a\|Booklet;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#5340fe0b-73a7-472c-bef7-04e450fb5c4f;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-23T10:00:00Z
Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (English)	2690902	GP0\|#5702b03d-251a-4a3f-8243-b5b3f7bb764a;L0\|#05702b03d-251a-4a3f-8243-b5b3f7bb764a\|Booklet;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#5340fe0b-73a7-472c-bef7-04e450fb5c4f;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-22T22:00:00Z
Water Reuse for Cape Town Booklet (isiXhosa)	1513918	GP0\|#5702b03d-251a-4a3f-8243-b5b3f7bb764a;L0\|#05702b03d-251a-4a3f-8243-b5b3f7bb764a\|Booklet;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#5340fe0b-73a7-472c-bef7-04e450fb5c4f;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-23T10:00:00Z
Water Reuse for Cape Town Summary Leaflet	3709304	GP0\|#367c7831-4239-4ad6-824a-c4325897c033;L0\|#0367c7831-4239-4ad6-824a-c4325897c033\|Pamphlet;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#5340fe0b-73a7-472c-bef7-04e450fb5c4f;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-23T10:00:00Z
Water Reuse in Cape Town	8060404	GP0\|#80bb13fd-df6b-452c-8b83-3168050363ea;L0\|#080bb13fd-df6b-452c-8b83-3168050363ea\|Presentation;GTSet\|#f1e8889f-f7d7-4d5b-a3f5-af0ca2e076ea;GPP\|#5340fe0b-73a7-472c-bef7-04e450fb5c4f;GPP\|#0972c695-fd19-46c4-ab5d-9601f17b780e	2021-03-09T22:00:00Z