City’s 24/7 high-tech telemetry system boosts early detection of pump station faults
22 December 2025
As the festive season continues, the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is closely monitoring operations at sewer pump stations, via a technologically advanced telemetry monitoring system. This proactive tool assesses efficiencies in real time to help reduce the likelihood of sewer overflows during the busy summer period.
The telemetry system is installed at 404 out of the 487 sewer pump stations across Cape Town. In addition to maintenance teams conducting regular on-site visits to ensure pump stations are fully operational, this system has been in effect since 2021, providing an additional layer of protection to detect early malfunctions.
Telemetry explained
The smart design includes a telemetry box installed next to each pump station control panel. This 24/7 monitoring capability detects unusual flow volumes and data patterns, operational irregularities, or system failures. An alert signal is then sent to the relevant pump station maintenance official via cellphone, for their urgent attention and investigation. This includes the early detection of high wet well levels, wet well overflows and pump trips.
The Digital Control Room Hub
Behind the scenes, the City has a high-tech digital control room that also operates 24/7, responsible for capturing and allocating service requests to the respective maintenance depots across the city. The remote team monitors the telemetry alarm system for the 404 sewer pump stations, 76 water pump stations and 79 reservoirs, ensuring rapid response times for urgent infrastructure repairs.
The pump station maintenance teams have also:
- Intensified their preventative maintenance efforts, including more frequent wet well cleaning
- Ensured that standby teams are on hand to respond promptly to any after-hours emergencies.
- Established a 24/7 spill mitigation team to respond to any failures swiftly, to minimise environmental impact, especially for pump stations near beaches
‘We urge residents to work with us in ensuring the smooth operation of the sewer system and its infrastructure throughout the festive period. By preventing illegal dumping of foreign objects which lead to blockages and practising responsible waste disposal habits, we can collectively mitigate against sewer overflows to fully enjoy the coastline, our communities and the outdoor environment without incident.
‘The City has taken all necessary precautions and is ready to continue delivering high-quality water and sanitation services throughout the increased demands of the festive season. By planning proactively and ensuring that a dedicated emergency response team is in place, residents and visitors can depend on reliable services all summer,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Caption 1: Ntsikelelo Luthuli (Pump Station Manager) and Bongani Nqayi (Superintendent) taking Councillor Zahid Badroodien through the telemetry system at the Stadler Sewer Pump Station in Bloubergstrand.
Caption 2: Pump station maintenance teams checking the wet well levels at the Stadler Sewer Pump Station.
Caption 3 (Dropbox): The telemetry system at Stadler Sewer Pump Station which will help with early detection should any issues arise. From left: Ntsikelelo Luthuli (Pump Station Manager), Bongani Nqayi (Superintendent) and Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Caption 4: (Dropbox) Councillor Zahid Badroodien with the pump station maintenance team at the Stadler Sewer Pump Station in Bloubergstrand.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
