The City of Cape Town has completed a R7.9 million sewer rehabilitation project in Pinelands more than a month ahead of schedule. The work renewed more than 5.1 km of ageing sewer infrastructure.
How it works
The project used trenchless technology, which allows workers to rehabilitate sewer mains without excavating the entire pipeline. The method minimises disruption to residents and traffic while helping extend the lifespan of the sewer network.
Ward 53 councillor Riad Davids said the suburb’s age and planned layout was a factor. Much of its infrastructure was now more than 100 years old.
“Blockages and leaks develop,” Davids said. He added that small cracks caused many blockages in sewer lines. These allowed tree roots to grow into the pipes.
He said the trenchless process involved relining the pipes with a sleeve that seals the sewer lines. This prevents leaks and tree roots from entering.
Regular blockages
“Pinelands experienced these blockages and our C3 logging system would flag regular blockages that then justified this work,” he said.
C3 is the City’s electronic system for logging and tracking service requests.
Davids said the work was planned as routine maintenance to prevent further blockages.
The City informed residents about the project, with some visiting the site to see the rehabilitation process.
“It’s absolutely amazing to see how it works,” Davids said.
He said the area had no blockages since the City completed the project.
The rehabilitation forms part of the City of Cape Town’s proactive programme. The City aims to rehabilitate or replace up to 100 km of sewer infrastructure each year.
More work ahead
Davids said the City would also need to rehabilitate other sections of Pinelands where similar ageing infrastructure existed.
However, he said the timing of future work would depend on information the City’s C3 reporting system records.
“Other parts of the City could get priority based on logged information,” he said.
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