The Bayside Canal is set for an R87,5 million upgrade to improve Rietvlei’s water quality, the City of Cape Town says.
This comes after City investigations showed reed growth in the canal hindered flow which caused the past flooding incidents at the Bayside Mall.
As a result of development within the catchment area, the need to upgrade the Bayside Canal will cater for increased stormwater flow during peak periods. Upgrades to the canal will also address the major challenges where litter and pollution from various stormwater channels end up in the Rietvlei.
The City has started the upgrade of the canal with the removal of reeds and the widening of the current canal.
Mayco member for water and sanitation, Zahid Badroodien, says he is optimistic about the promising progress being made on the upgrade of the Bayside Canal, from Blaauwberg Road to Rietvlei in Table View, which began in November last year.
The aim of this upgrade is threefold: to increase the capacity of the Bayside canal; to provide naturally-structured treatment facilities which improve the quality of stormwater run-off that flows from the canal into the Rietvlei, and to provide adequate access for systematic maintenance in the future.
This is one of the City’s major river and waterways infrastructure upgrade projects currently underway, which forms part of the R131 million investment into projects of this nature in the 2023-’24 financial year.
Scope of upgrade
The scope of the upgrade includes:
- Lining the side slopes of the canal situated south of Blaauwberg Road;
- Providing floating litter booms to remove solid waste from the stormwater;
- Constructing parallel primary sedimentation ponds, a secondary treatment channel and reed bed ponds for further treatment to improve the quality of the water;
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- Constructing a bypass channel;
- Constructing laydown areas next to the primary ponds and secondary treatment channel, for access for future maintenance.
“Great care is being taken to ensure that the upgrade enhances the natural ecosystem of the Rietvlei and surrounds. Waterbodies opposite West Coast Road will remain undisturbed. There will also be no interference to the aquatic and natural habitat,” Badroodien says.
A search and rescue operation was conducted before construction began, in order to locate rare and endangered plant species, as well as to gather plants for both on- and off-site restoration.
Work is expected to be completed by mid-June 2025.
“Careful consideration was taken for the natural environment when the Water and Sanitation Directorate embarked on this R87 million upgrade. I am excited about the significant advantages it will provide for the community – not only in preventing future flooding, but also in enhancing the quality of the stormwater that enters the Rietvlei. This investment is part of the City’s collective efforts towards our ambitious goals to become a more water-sensitive city and improve the health of the city’s waterways,” Badroodien says.
