The City of Cape Town has already jet-cleaned a record 230km of sewer lines ahead of this winter, far exceeding the previously set 200km target for sewer jet-cleaning to help prevent winter flooding. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis met with teams on the ground in Bishop Lavis yesterday.
Also read: Failing sewage plants continue to pollute False Bay
Proactive sewer jet cleaning is part of Cape Town’s annual winter preparation efforts to reduce seasonal flooding risks to infrastructure and residents throughout the metro.
‘We pledged to do the basics better for residents, and I’m pleased to see our teams break the all-time record for sewer jet-cleaning, with 230km already complete ahead of winter,’ he said. ‘Over time, we have invested in more sewer-spill response teams and specialised jet-vac trucks, with a record R82m operational budget tabled for sewer jetting and repairs to manholes in the 24/25 financial year.’
‘Our work on the ground this winter coincides with massive increases to infrastructure investments for better sanitation and better dignity for the poor. Overall, 75% – or R9bn – of our record infrastructure budget will directly benefit lower income households in the coming year. This includes SA’s largest bulk sewer upgrade to the Cape Flats line, and a quadrupling of sewer pipe replacement to 100km annually across the metro. With the combined force of all our efforts, we are seeing sewer spills come down by around 30% based on preliminary data.’
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city, at half the price? Get exclusive offers here.
Zahid Badroodien, member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation, believes that proactive jet-cleaning is critical for removing foreign objects from the sewer system, which is a major source of winter flooding.
‘While severe and unpredictable winter storms inevitably do lead to localised flooding, there is a lot we can do as Capetonians to mitigate flooding risk as far as possible. In any given month, we find that easily over 80% of sewer spills are caused by foreign objects, litter, and fats from cooking. We can lessen these human-driven sewer blockages through behaviour change, never littering, and working together to report and stop illegal dumping into the sewer system. The City’s investments in jet vacuum trucks is also upping our capacity to remove natural blockages from roots and sand, which cause around 12% of sewer blockages.’
‘Technology is playing an increasingly big role in monitoring sewer spills. Proactive jet-cleaning is data-driven, with specialised jet-vac trucks focusing on areas with the highest level of reported flooding complaints for previous winters.’
‘We also have digital early-warning systems for sewer spills installed across the network. To mitigate load-shedding, we have secured most of our critical infrastructure with generators, inverters and UPS. And to make sure everything runs smoothly, we simulate generator switch-overs weekly, and ensure that fuel levels do not drop below 70%,’ said Badroodien.
Explore Cape Town and its surroundings with these incredible deals on cars for under R100 000. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Nomzamo residents threaten election boycott due to sewage crisis
Picture: City of Cape Town