Cape Town is confronted with a number of issues affecting the water quality of its rivers, vleis, waterways and wetlands.
The City of Cape Town issued a call for innovative ideas and solutions to these challenges in early February 2023, culminating in a showcase of some of the most innovative ideas at the Indaba.
Also read: Activists hold a protest during Mantashe’s African Energy Indaba address
In support of the goals of gradually delivering enhanced basic services and a healthy urban environment to improve the quality of life for Cape Town residents, the City hosted the Western Cape Water Indaba and Innovation Showcase.
The City partnered with the Western Cape Government to put together the showcase from 22-23 March 2023, where innovators of water technology could showcase their solutions.
The partnership resulted in shared ideas, processes and innovations with sister municipalities and the provincial government, extending the reach of the City’s efforts.
Following that, all other innovators were invited to present their ideas at the Cape Town City Hall on March 27–28. Dry sanitation, low-flush technology, decentralised wastewater treatment plants, sludge digestion, drone technology for security and infrastructure monitoring, in-line sensors and bio-remediation were among the innovations featured.
There were 124 submissions in total; 80 submissions were reviewed, and 34 innovators displayed their solutions at the Century City Convention Centre. The New Technology Committee gave innovators the opportunity to present their solutions. These solutions are currently being reviewed, and a feedback report will be prepared for each innovator to outline the next steps.
‘The quality of inland water bodies has been in long-term decline due to pollution caused by sewer spillages and overflows, land invasions into stormwater infrastructure and illegal discharge of sewage and waste from unregulated structures,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
‘This event created an open and transparent platform for residents to engage with the City and have their ideas heard as the City strives to solve these challenges,’ he said.
Councillor Badroodien expressed hope that this initiative has demonstrated that the City is a caring one as it strives to become a place of hope.
He said, ‘Residents who demonstrated technology through the Innovation Showcase also had an opportunity for exposure at a provincial level and all innovators who presented their ideas and solutions can be reassured that they have had a positive impact on the City’s leadership as it tries to improve inland water quality.’
Also read:
Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook