Statement by the Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
The City of Cape Town has tabled its draft Budget 2022/23 and strategic plan for this term of office, known as the IDP (Integrated Development Plan). The new Water and Sanitation infrastructure budget for the next three years is set to lay the foundation for a City of Hope for all – the overall vision for Cape Town. Sewer pipe replacement will be quadrupled, water pipe replacement will double, and big investments will be made to upgrade sewers, pump stations, and Waste Water Treatment Works. Responsiveness to sewer spills and partnerships with communities are also high on the agenda.
Our commitment is to do the basics better so that all residents – no matter where you live – feel a sense of improved speed, responsiveness, and pride in our delivery of water and sanitation services.
A key change in this new budget, is that the City will spend more, especially on critical sewage infrastructure.
Raising the City’s investment in basic services infrastructure to R8 billion over the next three years will contribute to improving the dignity of all residents, support economic growth, and ensure our city’s best days are ahead.
Big water and sanitation investments for the period 2022/23 – 24/25 include:
• R755m to quadruple Sewer Pipe Replacement from 25km to 100km per year
• R300m to double Water Pipe Replacement to 50km per year
• R112m additional toilets and taps in informal settlements
• R529m for Sewer Pump Station upgrades and repairs
• R3,3bn on Waste Water Treatment Works upgrades, and extensions to Potsdam, Zandvliet, Athlone, Macassar, and the refurbishment of Bellville WWTW
• R860m for major Sewer Upgrades including the Cape Flats, Milnerton, Phillipi, and Gordon’s Bay bulk sewers
• R57,8m for infrastructure upgrades linked to Vlei rehabilitation, including the Sand/Langvlei canal, Zandvlei Canal, and Bayside Canal at Rietvlei
• R2bn New Water Programme including major aquifer and resilience projects
A total of R2,4 billion is budgeted for various forms of indigent relief, including free basic water and sanitation, with approximately 40% of households benefitting, the highest of all metros and more than double the 15,6% average in Gauteng.
The City currently provides about 57 000 toilets of various typologies, with associated janitorial services, and 7 640 taps to about 257 000 households in recognised informal settlements city-wide. The City will spend R2,38bn to operate water and sanitation services in informal settlements over the next three years.
‘The budget reflects the City’s priority- investing in our wastewater systems to ensure our infrastructure is working optimally, which will help to reduce sewer overflows to improve the environment for our communities. This includes the sewer reticulation infrastructure and sewer pump stations responsible for conveying sewage from properties as well as the Wastewater Treatment Works responsible for treating sewage.
‘By 2030, the department’s goal is to:
1. Decrease the number of sewage spills per 100km of pipeline to 50 per month from a baseline of 102 (total network length 9400+km)
2. Increase the number of kilometres of sewage pipes that are proactively jetted to 1 860km from a baseline of 50km; and
3. Increase the length of network replaced to 186km of sewage pipes per year from a baseline of 28km.
‘All our investments aim to work towards achieving these goals, which will benefit our communities.
‘The City also continues to assist our indigent residents as much as possible. The team will also continue to invest in our New Water Programme to help ensure that Cape Town’s drinking water supply is reliable in the face of unpredictable rainfall and climate change impacts.
‘Also, the City’s Water and Sanitation team will continue to provide services where possible to informal settlements. The team continues to work with the Human Settlements Directorate team who is responsible for the management of informal settlements as well as assessing the needs of the more recently unlawfully occupied areas where the provision of services is not always possible due to land not being earmarked or planned for human settlements, among others. Much work is under way to address this complex situation,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Source: City Of Cape Town