Name of the Project
Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW).

Location
Western Cape, South Africa.

Project Owner/s
City of Cape Town (CoCT).

Project Description
Potsdam is the Western Cape’s second-biggest infrastructure project.

The city’s goal is to progressively restore the environmental health of the Milnerton lagoon through a combination of infrastructure upgrades and dredging of the waterbody to remove pollution build-up in sediment.

The upgrade is set to double the plant’s capacity from 47-million litres to 100-million litres of treated wastewater a day.

Cutting-edge membrane technology will be progressively added to ensure high wastewater treatment standards.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
R5.2-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The city aims to finalise the upgrade in 2027, with the operational trial starting in 2026.

Latest Developments
Twenty months into the large-scale upgrade of the Potsdam WWTW, the CoCT has said that the project is on track to be completed in 2027.

The upgrade is being executed through two construction contracts – one for civil infrastructure and another for providing the mechanical and electrical infrastructure.

To date, the civil construction of the ultrafiltration plant has been completed. This plant will allow for advanced treatment processes, such as microscreening, ultrafiltration membrane technology and UV disinfection.

Also included is a treated effluent reuse pumpstation, increasing water availability to the city.

Construction of the process control facility is also under way. This will be the operational node for the plant, and will consist of a new control room, with a system to monitor the plant’s operations in real time. This area will also be the administration block where the operations management team will be based.

The civils portion of the membrane bioreactor facility, inlet works and raw sewage pumpstation is also under construction. This is the largest part of the project, and will increase the treatment capacity of the Potsdam WWTW to 100-million litres a day.

Civil construction of the dewatering plant has been completed and has been handed over to the mechanical and electrical contractor for equipment installation. This includes eight new primary sludge belt presses and eight new secondary sludge belt presses for dewatering of the respective sludges. This facility will assist the plant in maintaining a consistent sludge age – or, good bacteria levels – ensuring improved treated effluent quality.

The dewatering and ultrafiltration installations are likely to be commissioned in the middle of 2025. This is expected to have a positive impact on existing operations, as it may realise improved treated effluent quality at the WWTW at an earlier stage.

CoCT has said it aims for the completed treatment works to start operational trials in 2026.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
City of Cape Town Water and Sanitation Department, email water@capetown.gov.za.