Work on sewer pipe replacement in Scottsdene is well underway with a budget of about R7,5 million to repair, line and clean the 1 221 m of sewer pipes in Scottsdene by June this year.
The project also includes the removing of roots where it damaged the pipes and the repair or reconstruction of manholes.
This forms part of a major city-wide infrastructure project that will see 100 km of sewer pipes being replaced every year. Over three years R755 million will go to quadrupling sewer pipe replacement across Cape Town from 25 km to 100 km annually.
For this financial year it is targeted to double the sewer pipe replacements from 25 km to 50 km by June.
Better service delivery
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says this work is a crucial part of delivering better services to communities.
“This is laying the foundation not only for economic growth, but also for dignity and a healthy environment for all residents.”
He said the City has just allocated another R20 million in the adjustment budget. “Pipe replacement is part of a strategy to bring down sewer spills over time, including major bulk sewer upgrades, proactive cleaning of sewer lines, resourcing of sewer spill response teams, and digital telemetry systems for early warnings on sewer spills,” he says.
According to Hill-Lewis these interventions have already led to a 30% downward trend in reported spills over the last two years based on preliminary data. Besides the Scottsdene project, teams are working on pipe replacement in Gugulethu, Scottsdene, Epping, Bellville, Tokai, Dennedal, Sweet Valley, Strand, Maitland, and Uitsig.
The Mayor said the City was on track to meet its bulk sewer cleaning and jetting target of 200 km by June. Additional human resources have further been recruited for sewer preventative maintenance and rapid response teams.
While the City is investing into sewer infrastructure, residents are urged to look after the sewer network to prevent sewer overflows.
“Residents are reminded, whatever you flush down your toilet or pour down kitchen and bathroom sinks and drains, goes into the sewer pipes and is carried to pump stations and ultimately to the waterworks where sewage is treated. Waste such as rags, rubble, litter and diapers dumped into the drains will block the pipes and damage the pump station,” a City spokesperson said to TygerBurger.
