Amid a surge in sewer blockages plaguing some of Cape Town’s most popular coastal suburbs, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate warned against improper household waste disposal, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Between July 2023 and March 2025, the directorate has had to attend to 1 072 sewer blockages in Camps Bay, Bakoven, Clifton and Sea Point, with wet wipes flushed down the toilet being identified as one of the leading causes for these occurrences.
‘The City is appealing to residents to be mindful of the impact that improper household waste disposal habits have on the environment. Help us reduce sewer overflow and prevent damage to infrastructure by only flushing human waste and toilet paper,’ said City’s MMC for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
‘We see an increase in the prevalence of wet wipes blocking sewer pipes in some areas. These should be discarded in the bin to be collected along with other refuse.’
Despite continuous maintenance and rapid response efforts by the City, many of these blockages are entirely preventable, according to the directorate. The volume of call-outs in these high-use areas raises serious concerns about ongoing irresponsible behaviour.
During the 2023/24 financial year, City teams attended to 585 sewer blockages. So far in this 2024/25 financial year, they have attended to 487 sewer blockages.
Identified causes of sewer blockages in Camps Bay, Bakoven, Clifton and Sea Point include:
- 26% foreign objects such as wet wipes, sanitary towels and nappies
- 18% roots of trees
- 9% rags
- 6% fats from restaurants and eateries
- 8% other causes
- 33% could not be definitively traced
‘What is especially concerning is the need for repeat visits just days apart, as new blockages form in the same areas. Breaking the cycle of this persistent challenge requires a collaborative effort by the City and residents,’ said Badroodien.
Emphasising the need for mindful disposing, Badroodien urged residents and visitors of these coastal suburbs to ‘bin it, don’t flush it’.
‘I urge all residents and visitors to Camps Bay, Clifton, Bakoven and Sea Point – please do not flush wet wipes, nappies, sanitary towels, ear buds or any other foreign items down the toilet. These items do not break down like toilet paper and severely damage our sewer infrastructure. They increase the risk of blockages and overflows, which pose a serious threat to both the environment and public health.’
How to help reduce sewer overflows:
- Don’t flush anything other than human waste and toilet paper. Anything else will block the pipes.
- Use the City’s solid waste services provided to get rid of your waste, not drains and toilets.
- Report sewer blockages and overflows using one of the City’s official channels so they can be cleared in a reasonable timeframe.
- Report vandalism of the sewer system and stolen or missing sewer manhole covers.
- Use the City’s drop-off facilities to get rid of recyclables.
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Picture: City of Cape Town
