Sewer repairs progressing at Langa Zone 20
10 March 2024
The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation teams are currently completing extensive repairs to the 300mm sewer line in Zone 20, Langa, following three collapses.
The first of three collapses on the sewer line in Langa have already been repaired and work on the remaining two is well under way.
The City’s initial efforts to repair the first collapse when it occurred in 2014 were delayed, due to several factors impacting on the relocation of informal structures built on top of the sewer line. Following extensive engagement with the affected residents, repairs to the first collapse were done in 2020, when structures blocking access to the sewer line were successfully relocated.
At that point, there were concerns raised regarding the potential for further collapses within the sewer pipe network due to: • the sewer system remaining inactive, which could lead to it deteriorating
• encroaching structures built over the sewer line, potentially exerting pressure on the pipes
• increased internal pipeline pressure from foreign objects and building materials illegally disposed in the sewer network
As a temporary solution, the City implemented an over-pumping mechanism, which is a method of by-passing blockages using alternate pipes. Despite this initiative, two additional collapses occurred in 2022.
Repairing the new collapses started in early February 2024 at the intersection of Zone 19 Road.
The City’s Water and Sanitation team completed repairs on one of the collapses located downstream ahead of schedule. This cost almost R870 000 and had various complexities due to the depth of the pipe and groundwater.
The combined cost of repairing all three collapses is estimated between R1 million and R1,5 million.
Over the past few years, the City's Human Settlements Directorate has been proactively interacting with communities and initiated efforts to facilitate the relocation of structures built on the sewer line. Affected residents have to agree to be relocated, which is a crucial step to allow the completion of repair work.
‘Despite the delays encountered in the relocation process, I'm pleased to announce that repairs are in progress, undertaken by the City's expert teams. One repair has already been successfully completed. Unfortunately, there are still six structures impeding further repairs needed on part of the collapsed sewer line.
‘Our teams are prepared to start with the remaining repairs once these structures have been relocated. In the meantime, they have been promptly responding to reported sewer spills in the area, and over-pumping as an interim measure to help alleviate residents' concerns. Every effort is being made to repair the collapses as soon as it’s practically possible.’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
‘It has been an intricate process but we hope that all stakeholders will continue to stand with the City, as at heart we are trying to improve the living conditions of the community at large and protect basic services infrastructure,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Human Settlements, Councillor Carl Pophaim.
Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
