The City’s Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Works has earned second place in the Western Cape’s Green Drop technical site assessment, scoring an impressive 94%.
This well-deserved achievement follows an on-site inspection conducted as part of the 2025 Green Drop programme led by the national Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS).
DWS’s technical site assessment evaluates the physical condition of selected wastewater collector networks and treatment infrastructure, to verify desktop audit findings.
According to the City of Cape Town, Kraaifontein WWTW excelled in several key areas that contributed to the award. The facility demonstrated strong operational discipline through robust daily process controls and effective mechanical asset management, despite widespread national infrastructure challenges.
“The plant also maintained high infrastructure functionality, ensuring key wastewater treatment processes operated at or near peak efficiency with minimal asset defects. This was complemented by excellent compliance standards, with the facility consistently meeting stringent chemical, physical and microbiological requirements that protect receiving water bodies, including the Mosselbank River,” the City states.
Green engineering
Further setting itself apart, Kraaifontein WWTW embraced green engineering innovation by integrating forward-thinking solutions, including piloting floating solar photovoltaic systems to improve energy resilience while reducing water evaporation.
The plant also achieved an exceptional 94% for microbiological compliance, 79% for chemical compliance and 79% for physical compliance, meaning that the treated wastewater discharged into the environment consistently met DWS’s stringent quality standards.
The plant services Kraaifontein and Durbanville, and it is currently operating at an average inflow of five million litres per day (Ml/d), which is 71% of its 7Ml/d design capacity. Operating within its design capacity has enabled the facility to maintain consistently high performance.
We are encouraged by this achievement and remain focused on building a future-ready water and sanitation system for our growing city.
It also serves as a proof-of-concept site for green technologies, with pilot projects at the facility, such as floating solar photovoltaic (PV) panels introduced to improve energy resilience and reduce water evaporation. Another advancement is a 990kWp ground mounted PV installation that was provided as a proof-of-concept installation, before rollout to other WWTWs within the City.
“This Green Drop recognition is a strong endorsement of the City of Cape Town’s sustained investment in wastewater infrastructure and our commitment to becoming a water-sensitive city. At a time when many wastewater treatment works across the country are under increasing pressure, Cape Town continues to invest in safeguarding and improving water quality for future generations,” says Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayco member for water and sanitation.
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“This financial year alone, we are investing approximately R1.8 billion in wastewater treatment infrastructure upgrades, expansions and renewals. The excellent performance of the Kraaifontein WWTW demonstrates that these investments are delivering tangible results, strengthening environmental resilience, protecting our waterways. We are encouraged by this achievement and remain focused on building a future-ready water and sanitation system for our growing city.”
