The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is preparing to deploy its Council-approved capital budget over the 2024/25 financial year.

The city’s R18-billion water and sanitation budget for 2024/25 comprises a R5-billion capital budget and R13-billion operating budget.

This is an increase on the 2023/24 financial year, which saw R3.3-billion capital budget spent and invested in water and sanitation services.

During the 2024/25 financial year, the City of Cape Town has allocated R38.25-million for new taps and toilets for informal settlements, in addition to services already provided.

The city has allocated R445-million for major water resilience projects, the bulk being aquifer projects which form part of the New Water Programme, including the Cape Flats Aquifer Recharge and related projects; Atlantis Aquifer; and Table Mountain Group Aquifer and related projects,” said Water and Sanitation MMC Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

About R2-billion is estimated to be spent on extensions and upgrades at wastewater treatment works over the next financial year. This is planned to increase to R2.4-billion for the 2025/26 financial year.

The capacity of Potsdam is currently being upgraded from 47 Mℓ/d to 100 Mℓ/d and Macassar, currently in the design stage, will be upgraded from 34 Mℓ/d to 80 Mℓ/d.

Athlone is undergoing its first-phase refurbishment and treatment process upgrade, while Bellville is in the final phase of a refurbishment and treatment process upgrade.

In addition to this, other wastewater treatment works upgrades include Wesfleur’s Aeration system replacement/refurbishment, which is currently at awarding tender stage, and Wildevoëlvlei’s refurbishment and upgrade of the mechanical sludge dewatering facility, which is at the tender evaluation stage.

Meanwhile, R1-billion has been allocated for various projects to help bolster proactive efforts to assist with preventing sewer overflows, and includes R154-million on upgrades and refurbishment of sewer pump stations; R385-million on replacing 100 km of sewer pipes; and R526-million to tackle sewer spills by upgrading bulk sewers in Cape Flats, Philippi, Milnerton and Gordon’s Bay.

Another R224-million will be spent on replacing 50 km of water pipes.

The City of Cape Town has also allocated R127-million for generators and UPS installations for sewer and water pump stations as well as wastewater treatment plants.

Further, R237-million has been allocated to projects, over the next three financial years, to ensure flood alleviation in Lourens River and Macassar and Sir Lowry's Pass River upgrade, as well as pollution abatement projects, including the Zandvlei Canal upgrade and the Bayside Canal upgrade.

“As we go into a new financial year, these remain key priorities for the city: building a water-secure future, delivering clean, reliable drinking water and dignified sanitation services to residents in Cape Town, as well as reducing sewer overflows and improving treating wastewater so that we safeguard our environment and improve inland water quality,” Badroodien concluded.