City exceeds pipe replacement targets with nearly 193km of water and sewer upgrades

31 July 2026

The City of Cape Town's Water and Sanitation Directorate exceeded its annual infrastructure replacement target of 150km for the 2025/26 financial year, replacing nearly 193km of ageing water and sewer pipes across the metro.

The City's annual pipe replacement programme forms part of its long-term investment in renewing ageing infrastructure before failures occur. By proactively replacing older pipelines, the City is reducing water losses, preventing sewer overflows and improving the resilience of its water and sanitation networks while minimising the risk of unplanned service disruptions.

Projects are prioritised using a range of technical criteria, including the age and material of the pipes, historical failure trends and operational risk, ensuring that the areas with the greatest need receive attention first. The directorate replaced 88,7km of water pipes against a target of 50km, and 104km of sewer pipes against its 100km target.

‘Replacing nearly 193km of ageing water and sewer pipes is a major achievement, but we cannot allow a record year to become a reason to slow down. Cape Town’s infrastructure must keep pace with population growth, ageing networks and the rising demands of a changing climate.

‘Our ambition is not simply to respond faster when pipes fail. It is to renew more of the network before failures occur, reduce water losses and sewer overflows and provide every community with a more reliable and resilient service. We have made significant progress, but there is still much more to do, and we intend to build on this momentum in the year ahead,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

In the final four months of the 2025/26 financial year alone, the directorate replaced 40 991m of water pipes and 66 992m of sewer pipes, contributing significantly to the year's record achievement.

March 2026:

8 911m of water pipes in: Hout Bay, Kommetjie, Glencairn, Noordhoek, Fish Hoek, Heathfield, Sun Valley, Steenberg, Wynberg, Lotus River, Retreat, Bergvliet, Strand, Avondale (Atlantis), Gardens, Tygerdal, Glenlily and Oranjezicht.
10 022m of sewer pipes in: Plumstead, Kirstenhof, Bloemhof, Durbanville, Bellville (Welgemoed), Bloekombos, Belmont Park (Kraaifontein), Bellrail, Scottsdene, Wallacedene, Parow, Silvertown / Kewtown and Philippi.

April 2026:

8 314m of water pipes in: Hout Bay, Kommetjie, Glencairn, Noordhoek, Constantia, Fish Hoek, Heathfield, Sun Valley, Steenberg, Wynberg, Retreat, Bergvliet, Strand, Somerset West, Brackenfell South, Bellville South, Brackenfell, Avondale (Atlantis), Flamingo Vlei, Tygerdal, Glenlily, Oranjezicht and Rylands.
20 261m of sewer pipes in: Plumstead, Kirstenhof, Strand, Somerset West, Gordons Bay, Bloemhof, Bellville (Welgemoed), Bellville, Bellville South, Bloekombos, Bellrail, Scottsdene, Belmont Park, Brooklyn (Milnerton), Parow, Pinelands, Pinati Estate, Wetton and Silvertown / Kewtown.

May 2026:

17 665m of water pipes in: Hout Bay, Kommetjie, Glencairn, Noordhoek, Constantia, Fish Hoek, Heathfield, Sun Valley, Steenberg, Wynberg, Lotus River, Retreat, Bergvliet, Strand, Somerset West, Scottsdene, Kenridge, Durbanville, Brackenfell South, Brackenfell, Saxonsea (Atlantis), Door De Kraal (Bellville), Flamingo Vlei, Klipheuwel, Tygerdal, Glenlily, Oranjezicht and Rylands.
15 449m of sewer pipes in: Plumstead, Kirstenhof, Protea Ridge, Strand, Somerset West, Bloemhof, Bellville South, Welgemoed (Bellville), Bellville, Bloekombos, Bellrail, Belmont Park, Brooklyn, Milnerton, Parow, Pinelands and Epping.

June 2026:

6 100m of water pipes in: Hout Bay, Kommetjie, Glencairn, Noordhoek, Constantia, Fish Hoek, Heathfield, Sun Valley, Sun Valley, Steenberg, Wynberg, Lotus River, Bergvliet, Retreat, Macassar, Kuilsriver, Kenridge, Durbanville, Kraaifontein, Bellville South, Klipheuwel, Tygerdal, Glenlily, Oranjezicht, Parow Industrial and Rondebosch.
21 259m of sewer pipes in: Plumstead, Kirstenhof, Strand, Parel Vallei (Somerset West), Bloemhof, Bellville South, Bellville (Welgemoed), Bellville, Bloekombos, Belmont Park, Welgelegen (Bellville), Stellenberg (Bellville), Montague Gardens, Parow and Epping.

This momentum will continue in 2026/27, with more than R652 million allocated to replacing ageing water and sewer pipes across the city. Work will continue in areas including Grassy Park, Ottery, Plumstead and Parow Industrial as we build a more resilient network that delivers reliable services for residents.

Caption 1: Councillor Zahid Badroodien, and Ward 9 Councillor Mercia Kleinsmith inspect progress on the Bellville South water pipe replacement project
Caption 2: The City completed the rehabilitation of ageing sewer pipes in Pinelands as part of its ongoing investment in modernising water and sanitation infrastructure. Pictured are representatives from the City’s appointed contractor: Chris Dempers (left) and Brett Elliott (right) with Asavela Jack (middle) from the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate.
Caption 3: Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, visits the Lotus River water pipe replacement project, one of the infrastructure upgrades completed as part of the City's annual pipe replacement programme.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office