The City is on track to exceed its target of doubling sewer pipe replacement to 50km for the 22/23 financial year ending June 2023. This is part of a major sewer pipe focus which will see 100km being replaced every year across the metro, for a total investment of R850m over the next three years.

Pipe replacement is part of a strategy to bring down sewer spills over time, including major bulk sewer upgrades, proactive cleaning of sewer lines, resourcing of sewer spill response teams, and digital telemetry systems for early warnings on sewer spills.

These interventions have led to a 30% downward trend in reported spills in Cape Town over the last two years based on preliminary data. The City is now rolling out a Reactive Incident Management System (RIMA) to track progress even more closely by digitising the coordination of sewer spill responsiveness.

‘It was a joy to witness the completion of extensive sewer pipe replacement in Gugulethu this morning, a project I have tracked closely. The neat roads, sidewalks, and painted road markings make it seem as if there was never a major underground project to replace sewer pipes. This not only positions the community for economic growth, it also directly improves quality of life and dignity through better sanitation.

The completed Gugulethu project is one of 36 we are executing in communities across Cape Town this year as part of our ambitious plans to ultimately quadruple sewer pipe replacement to 100km annually.

For 2023/24, roughly 73% - or just over R8bn - of Cape Town’s R11bn capital budget will go towards critical infrastructure that benefits lower-income households, informal settlements, and poorer communities in our city.

Besides the improvements to basic services, and personal and community dignity, the scale of Cape Town’s R43bn infrastructure pipeline – bigger than Joburg and Durban combined - will create an estimated 135 000 jobs in the city over three years,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.

For 2022/23, the City is executing 36 pipe replacements, with 22 complete and 14 set to finish before the end of the financial year on 30 June.

This is aside from the major R539m Cape Flats Bulk Sewer upgrade currently under way to rehabilitate 28kms of pipeline serving more than 300 000 households, making this the largest project of its kind undertaken in South Africa.

Areas contributing most of the inflow to the Cape Flats line include Athlone, Hanover Park, Lotus River, Ottery, Grassy Park, Eagle Park, areas around Pelican Park, among others.

Over the next three years, the City will invest a massive R1,3bn in major bulk sewer upgrades to the Cape Flats, Philippi, Milnerton, and Gordon’s Bay lines.

Caption: Mayor Hill-Lewis and Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, visit the completed sewer pipe replacement project in Gugulethu on 18 May 2023.