First look at the newly commissioned Montague Bulk Sewer Upgrade
09 July 2026
On Wednesday, 8 July 2026, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation Councillor Zahid Badroodien visited the new sandtrap and screening facility at the Koeberg Road Sewer Pump Station. This forms part of the City's broader R470 million Montague Gardens Bulk Sewer Upgrade.
Phase 1 of the City's Montague Bulk Sewer Upgrade is now complete and will help reduce sewer overflows in the Koeberg Road Pump Station catchment.
The sandtrap and screening facility was officially commissioned in September 2025, with the flow diversion into the new bulk sewer pipeline going live on 21 May 2026.
‘As Cape Town continues to grow, we must stay ahead of the demand for reliable sanitation services. This investment in the Montague Gardens Bulk Sewer Upgrade strengthens critical infrastructure that serves thousands of residents and businesses. These are the kinds of long-term investments that form part of our Budget of Hope, geared towards building a city that is well prepared for the future,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
The project includes:
4 km of newly installed bulk sewer pipes in Montague Gardens, with sections installed using micro-tunnelling (a construction method that takes place underground with minimal disruption to businesses and traffic).
Sewer flows from Edgemead are now being permanently diverted into the new sewer line, while flows from Century City are temporarily tapping into it to allow the City to rehabilitate the existing Montague Drive Bulk Sewer.
Approximately 300m of a new, large diameter (1 350mm) gravity sewer was constructed near the Koeberg Road Pump Station to accommodate flows from both the existing and new sewer systems.
Installation of a sandtrap and screening facility at the Koeberg Pump Station which removes sand, grit and debris before wastewater enters the pump station. It has two separate flow paths, allowing one path to remain available while the other is isolated for maintenance. Each path is 4,5m wide x 16m long and 2m deep storage depth, based on a 30-day storage volume.
'This project had several technical complexities, which the project team has successfully navigated. Once completed, it will significantly improve how wastewater is channelled through this area and reduce the likelihood of sewer overflows. I want to thank our Water and Sanitation project team and contractors for delivering this project with minimal disruption to surrounding businesses and road users,' said Councillor Badroodien.
Award-winning project
The project team has also been recognised by the Southern African Society for Trenchless Technology with the Joop van Wamelen Excellence Award 2026 for its innovative use of trenchless construction methods
Next phase of the project
The next phase will focus on rehabilitating the existing Montague Drive Bulk Sewer using trenchless construction methods. Once complete, Century City's sewer flows will be redirected back into the upgraded pipeline.
Caption 1: The screens at the new sandtrap and screening facility which extracts foreign objects such as rags, wet wipes, newspaper and sanitary towels.
Caption 2: Henk Aartsma (Principal Civil Engineer at Bigen) with the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien at the new sandtrap and screening facility.
Caption 3: The Montague Bulk Sewer Project Team was recognised by the Southern African Society for Trenchless Technology with the Joop van Wamelen Excellence Award 2026.
Caption 4: The foreign objects consisting of rags, wet wipes, newspaper and sanitary towels extracted at the new screening facility.
End
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
