By Larry Claasen
THE R5,2-billion upgrade to the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works in Milnerton (WWTW) will benefit about 75 000 households.
Once complete, the upgraded treatment plant will double its capacity from 47-million litres to 100-million litres per day. Construction, which started in April 2023, is expected to be completed by 2027.
Aside from providing services to 75 000 households, the upgrade also opens the way for property development in the cape.
“The upgrades to the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works are likely to have a positive impact on property developments in the area by increasing the capacity for urban growth in line with both the Local Spatial Development Framework (LSDF) and the Land-use 2040 Spatial Planning Overview,” says the city of Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Badroodien says this investment by the city will not only improve the quality of life for residents but also foster confidence in the private sector in the Mother City.
“The upgrades will aid in improving environmental quality, enhancing property values, and fostering sustainable development. Developers and investors will likely view the upgraded infrastructure as a long-term asset that supports both residential and commercial growth.”
This view was echoed in a November 2023 parliamentary report.
“Residents in the City of Cape Town will benefit from the development of the plant as more water will be made available for use by industry which reduces the strain on our freshwater reserves.”
The upgrade is being done through two construction contracts – one for civil infrastructure and another for providing mechanical and electrical infrastructure – and created about 250 jobs.
The upgrades will use cutting-edge membrane technology” that will progressively be added to ensure high wastewater treatment and treated effluent standards.
The dewatering and ultrafiltration installations are likely to be commissioned around mid-2025. This is anticipated to have a positive impact on existing operations, assisting to realise early improved treated effluent quality at the WWTW.
The upgrades will also mitigate the amount of effluent going into the nearby Milnerton Lagoon.
“With the advanced treatment facilities of the upgraded plant, the quality of the treated effluent will not only increase but is expected to be more consistent. The Water and Sanitation Directorate therefore foresees a definite improvement in the environmental health of the Lower Diep River reach and the Milnerton Lagoon,” said Badroodien.
Badroodien also noted that the Potsdam WWTW is not the sole contributor to the environmental health of the Milnerton Lagoon as there are many other factors involved in the associated pollution.
Other major sewerage infrastructure upgrades under way in the vicinity include the R430-million Montague Gardens Bulk Sewer Rehabilitation, R118-million Koeberg Pump Station Upgrade, and long-term pump station and pipe replacement programmes.
The investment in water infrastructure is part of the city’s commitment to invest R120-billion in infrastructure over the next 10 years.
Water and Sanitation investment now makes up 42% of Cape Town’s R120-billion pipeline, with multi-billion rand upgrades to seven wastewater works on track according, the city said in February.
