Municipality gets ready for winter

As winter fast approaches and temperatures start to drop, the City of Cape Town’s Urban Mobility Directorate has geared up for its Preparing for Winter initiative.

The municipality will be going toe-to-toe against the pressing issues of illegal dumping, blocked stormwater drains and water damming on roads. However, it calls on locals’ cooperation. By doing the right thing residents can all minimise the impact of winter storms, mitigate flooding of roads and neighbourhoods, and ensure safer roads.

“The Urban Mobility Directorate is preparing for the wet season by clearing our stormwater infrastructure across Cape Town,” said Rob Quintas, Mayoral Committee member for Urban Mobility. “Blocked inlets cause roads to flood and, as we have seen in the past, flooded roads often result in the flooding of houses in low-lying areas. While we are doing all we can, I’m calling on Capetonians to help us prepare for winter.

“Without the cooperation of our residents our efforts are in vain. We need residents to please work with us: do not dump any objects into the stormwater infrastructure; do not decant water onto roads, and report potholes as soon as possible so our roads infrastructure management teams can do the necessary repairs. Sometimes a temporary repair will be done to keep the road safe until the surface is dry enough to undertake permanent repairs.

“Be that as it may, I want to assure residents we are doing all we can to mitigate the impact of wet weather on our road network.”

Residents can join efforts in mitigating flooding by promptly reporting instances of illegal dumping and blocked stormwater drains so the City can take action to clear obstructions and prevent potential flooding disasters.

Illegal dumping of waste in stormwater infrastructure can lead to blockages, causing water to accumulate and overflow onto roads, damaging infrastructure and posing hazards to motorists and pedestrians.

Grey and wastewater (any water with a soapy substance) discharged onto road surfaces can cause significant damage to the road network, compromising its longevity and safety. Residents are urged not to pour washing water into roads and to ensure nothing is deposited into stormwater drains that could obstruct the flow.