The City’s proposed R5,317bn capital budget for water and sanitation over the 2024/2025 financial year continues to drive key priorities to benefit its residents. These include building Cape Town’s resilient water future, providing ongoing access to good quality drinking water, tackling sewer overflows and delivering adequate sanitation in informal settlements where possible.
Residents have the opportunity to comment until 30 April 2024 on the City’s proposed budget for 2024/2025 financial year.
The total budget for Water and Sanitation for the upcoming financial year is R18 478 billion. Of this, R5,317 billion is our proposed capital budget and R13,161billion our operating budget.
‘Our proposed budget is testament to how serious and committed we are about doing the basics better when it comes to delivering and investing in water and sanitation services.
‘Residents are assured that these remain key priorities for the City: building a water secure future, delivering clean, reliable drinking water and dignified sanitation services to residents in Cape Town as well as reducing sewer overflows and improving treating wastewater so that we safeguard our environment and improve inland water quality,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Proposed 2024/2025 Water and Sanitation budget in a nutshell:
INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS
The plan is to spend R38,25 million on new taps and toilets for informal settlements in addition to services already provided.
NEW WATER PROGRAMME
Surface water currently makes up approximately 98% of our drinking water, but by 2040 we expect groundwater, desalination, and water reuse to account for a full 25% of supply. This is in addition to the removal of alien invasive plant species in our catchment areas.
We are bringing online alternative water sources that will serve our growing population. The directorate will work towards implementing the new water projects that include desalination, aquifer abstraction and our Faure New Water Programme. We are set to increase supply by an extra 300 million litres of water from new water sources every day by 2030.
We plan to invest R460,16 million on major infrastructure projects, the bulk being aquifer projects which form part of the NWP, including:
∙ Cape Flats Aquifer Recharge and related projects
∙ Atlantis Aquifer
∙ Table Mountain Group Aquifer and related projects
WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS (WWTWs)
R2,58 billion is estimated to be spent on extensions and upgrades at WWTWs over the next financial year. This is planned to increase to R2,96 billion for 2025/26 financial year.
WWTW extensions will expand the capacity of key facilities:
∙ Potsdam: Upgrade from 47 Ml/d to 100 Ml/d (Construction Stage)
∙ Athlone: Refurbishment and treatment process upgrade Phase 1 (Construction Stage)
∙ Bellville: Final Phase of refurbishment and treatment process upgrade (Construction Stage)
∙ Macassar: Upgrade from 34 Ml/d to 80 Ml/d (Design Stage)
In addition to this, other WWTW upgrades include the:
∙ Wesfleur: Aeration system replacement/refurbishment (currently at awarding tender stage)
∙ Wildevoëlvlei: Refurbishment and upgrade of the mechanical sludge dewatering facility (currently advertising the tender)
PROACTIVE EFFORTS TO PREVENT SEWER OVERFLOWS
R1,07 billion for various projects is proposed to help bolster proactive efforts to assist with preventing sewer overflows:
∙ R154,37 million on upgrades/refurbishment of sewer pump stations.
∙ R315,11 million on replacing 100km of sewer pipes.
∙ R597,51 million to tackle sewer spills by upgrading bulk sewers in Cape Flats, Philippi, Milnerton and Gordons Bay.
INVESTING IN RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO PROPERTIES
R83,36 million on replacing 50km of water pipes.
Communities that will benefit include Hout Bay, Simon’s Town, Fish Hoek, Glencairn, Tokai, Ottery, Somerset West, Kuils River, Strand, Blouberg, Flamingo Vlei, Atlantis, Summer Greens, Kraaifontein, Bellville, Brackenfell, Durbanville, Loevenstein, Ravensmead, Churchill, Tygerdal, Parow Valley, Sea Point, Athlone, Claremont and Fairfield Estate.
HELP BUILD RESILIENCE DURING LOAD-SHEDDING
The plan is to spend R127,7 million on generators and UPS installations for sewer and water pump stations as well as wastewater treatment plants.
IMPROVING OUR WATERWAYS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FLOODING AND POLLUTION ABATEMENT
R137,86 million is planned to be invested in the following projects:
∙ Flood alleviation in Lourens River
∙ Macassar flood alleviation
∙ Sir Lowry’s Pass River upgrade
∙ Zandvlei Canal upgrade
∙ Bayside Canal upgrade
In total, it is planned that R282,31 million will be spent on these projects over the next three FYs.
Comment on the Building for Jobs Budget 2024/25 by 30 April 2024.
To view the tabled budget, please visit: www.capetown.gov.za/budget
View the subcouncil public meeting schedule (subject to updating where applicable) https://bit.ly/Budget2024_25Meetings
Written comments
By email: Budget.Comments@capetown.gov.za
Through your Ward Councillor/Subcouncil offices:
Verbal inputs
Phone: 0800 212 176
For assistance to comment in English, Afrikaans or isiXhosa, please phone 0800 212 176
Visit www.capetown.gov.za/HaveYourSay for more information.
