City excels at 118% above target, with 51 water pipe replacement projects completed
30 June 2025
Exceeding expectations and timelines, Cape Town’s pipe replacement programme hit a major milestone with over 59km of ageing water infrastructure upgraded one month ahead of schedule. Driven by 51 projects across the metro, this achievement reflects the City’s commitment to proactive maintenance towards long-term water security.
By the end of May 2025, the Water and Sanitation Directorate had replaced 59 388m of water pipes, surpassing its annual target of 50 km set for the 2024/2025 financial year. This represents 118% of the goal achieved through targeted projects aimed at strengthening the reliability of the water network and reducing water losses.
To support this accelerated programme, the City invested over R523 million in replacing aged water and sanitation infrastructure as part of its ongoing strategy to modernise and maintain critical services across Cape Town.
‘This milestone reflects our commitment to building a water-resilient Cape Town, with reliable, modern infrastructure and ensuring that every kilometre laid strengthens service delivery for all.
‘Congratulations to the dedicated Water and Sanitation officials who made this all possible. Your commitment to excellence, accountability and public service is commendable and it’s making a difference every day. This achievement is also a clear demonstration of how residents’ rates and taxes are being reinvested into infrastructure that truly benefits all communities,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien.
See below a breakdown of pipes replaced per month for the 2024/2025 financial year:
- July 2024 – 3 875 m
- August 2024 – 3 229 m
- September 2024 – 5 359 m
- October 2024 – 5 982 m
- November 2024 – 9 162 m
- December 2024 – 1 854 m
- January 2025 – 2 162 m
- February 2025 – 9 520 m
- March 2025 – 3 513 m
- April 2025 – 8 021 m
- May 2025 – 6 711 m
Why water pipes are replaced
Water pipes are replaced based on the frequency of bursts and leaking valves. Investing in our reticulation network helps the City reduce water wastage by upgrading old infrastructure and addressing any leaks.
The City currently makes use of two water pipe replacement methods:
- Open-trench excavation is where large sections of roads and sidewalks are excavated to lay down strong and durable UPVC pipes. This method is used when considering the pipe's operating pressure, choice of pipe material and the space available to replace the pipes is taken into account. Pipes are also laid parallel to the existing pipes ensuring continuous water supply while the project is under way.
- Trenchless pipe-cracking technology is a modern engineering method that allows for installation of new High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes without extensive excavation. This technique significantly reduces the impact on pavements, road surfaces and underground utilities while accelerating project completion. During pipe-cracking, temporary bypasses are required to maintain the water supply.
In the 2024/2025 financial year, 67% of projects used trenchless technology, while 33% employed open-trench methods.
End
Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town
