Newlands reservoir gets its annual clean
15 May 2025
The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is in the final stretch of completing the cleaning of Newlands Reservoir as part of its annual proactive water maintenance programme. Work started on Monday, 5 May 2025, and it is anticipated to be completed on Friday, 16 May 2025. This programme was adopted as part of the City’s commitment to providing the highest quality drinking water to our residents. This work helps ensure that Cape Town’s tap water remains safe to drink and use.
What to know about Newlands Reservoir
• It is among Cape Town’s oldest reservoirs.
• It is situated within the Table Mountain Nature Reserve, next to Newlands Forest.
• Newlands storage reservoir can hold 132,6 million litres which is about 53 Olympic size swimming pools.
• Newlands Reservoir supplies water to Wynberg Reservoir, Bishopscourt and all the way to Hout Bay and Llandudno, as well as Newlands, Claremont, Kenilworth, Groote Schuur, UCT, Rondebosch, Molteno Reservoir, Ottery, Strandfontein, Pelican Park, Lansdowne, Wetton, Lotus River, Retreat, Steenberg, Muizenberg and Grassy Park.
The City of Cape Town is carrying out its annual cleaning and maintenance operation at the Newlands Reservoir to ensure the long-term safety and functionality of this critical water infrastructure. This routine work is essential to prevent sediment build-up on the reservoir floor.
Cleaning a reservoir of this size is no small task. It requires careful planning before, during and after the operation. These activities are generally scheduled for the winter months, when lower water demand allows the reservoir to be temporarily taken offline without affecting supply.
‘This year, the City invested just over R640 000 in the maintenance of Newlands Reservoir. This cost is significantly less than in previous years, thanks to the use of in-house equipment, including City-owned pumps, bobcats, and cranes. A team of 60 to 70 staff members from various bulk water facilities are also collaborating on this project,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
To prepare for the cleaning, the reservoir was gradually emptied. Once drained, teams manually scour the floor using hard-bristle brooms and squeegees. This is followed by maintenance on the reservoir valves and detailed structural inspections to ensure the reservoir remains in good condition before refilling.‘Our teams have taken every precaution to ensure that there are no disruptions to water supply for residents reliant on this reservoir. The operation has progressed smoothly and is expected to be completed by Friday, 16 May. Once the final checks are done, the reservoir will be refilled and operations will resume as normal.
‘A sincere thank you to all the dedicated staff who made this year’s operation a success and who continue to work year-round to maintain our infrastructure,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
End
Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town
