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The work was undertaken as part of the Mayor’s Priority Programme (MPP), through which Water and Sanitation has expanded its Sewer and Water Pipe Replacement Programme. A total of R523 million has been allocated to infrastructure maintenance and pipe replacement during the 2024/25 financial year.

Due to the deteriorating condition of sewer infrastructure in the area, two separate rehabilitation projects were implemented.

• Project 1: Rehabilitated 4,24km of 150mm diameter sewer mains across Market, Connaught, Rissik, Philips, Taylor, Potgieter, Prinsloo, Eland, Frederick, De Villiers, Jacaranda, Piet Retief, Hartbees, Paul Kruger, and Van Wyk Streets.
• Project 2: Rehabilitated 4,2km of 150mm to 225mm sewer mains in Joubert, Connaught, Rissik, Willie Van Der Poel, Taylor, Prinsloo, Moore, Frederick, De Villiers, Vlei, Riley, and Piet Retief Streets.

Some streets were shared between the two projects due to their length. 

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Both projects were completed on 14 April 2025, well ahead of the anticipated completion date in June.

The rehabilitation used a cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining method, a widely adopted trenchless technique that restores ageing sewer mains with minimal disruption to the surrounding area. This method included:

• Isolating sections of the pipeline;
• Over-pumping or bypassing flows;
• Inserting a resin-saturated liner into the host pipe;
• Curing the liner in place;
• CCTV inspections;
• Robotic cutting; and
• Final pipe testing.

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‘Rehabilitating ageing infrastructure is part of our broader strategy to ensure more reliable sanitation services across the city. While infrastructure upgrades are essential, preventing blockages also depends on responsible usage. Flushing items like nappies, rags, and other foreign materials causes avoidable sewer overflows. These items should never be flushed or disposed of down drains,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien. 

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Residents can help reduce sewer overflows:

• Don't flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Anything else will block the pipes. See www.capetown.gov.za/blocked-sewers.

• Use only the City's solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste.

• Report sewer blockages and overflows using one of the City's official channels.

• Report vandalism of the sewer system and stolen or missing sewer manhole covers.

• Use the City's drop-off facilities to get rid of recyclables. See https://bit.ly/3mhagVh

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