The City of Cape Town is going forward with a seven-fold budget increase to upgrade sewer pump stations in an attempt to protect them from loadshedding.
Under the Mayoral Priority Programme for Water and Sanitation, the budget has gone from R70 million in 2022 to R400 million in 2024 and R500 million in 2025.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says that permanent generators are set to be installed at 110 sewer pump stations by June 2023.
Around 30 more stations have been flagged for installations, and all 26 wastewater treatment plants already have permanent generators.
Hill-Lewis also explains that alarm systems have been installed at all 487 sewer pump stations, so issues may be more easily detected.
The budget for these upgrades and installations accounts for the remainder of planned annual budgets.
“As part of rapidly scaled-up budgets, over R100 million annually will go to generators and electrical maintenance to protect against load shedding; screens to protect against foreign items in sewers; and security measures to combat ongoing theft and vandalism of critical infrastructure,” says Hill-Lewis.
Also read: SA heading into a chicken shortage crisis as loadshedding continues
He maintains that the City aims to end loadshedding over time, but that they are currently investing to protect critical infrastructure from the impact of sustained blackouts.
“One of our first actions in office was to quadruple the City’s proactive sewer pipe replacement target, from 25km to 100km annually.”
“Now thanks to an ongoing city-wide audit of the state of sewer pump stations, we are ready to massively ramp up budgets for upgrades. This includes protection from loadshedding, sewer misuse, theft and vandalism.”
Acting Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Siseko Mbandezi, says that the City is focusing on a pump station upgrade programme as well as sewage spill response.
“Interventions include more specialised vehicles, hiring additional personnel, and proactive clearing of the sewer system,” Mbandezi says.
The City is improving operations all round, expanding operational teams, conducting manual switching over to generators, and procuring more specialised equipment to combat sewer spills.
They also have other plans in mind, including buying power on the open market, paying businesses and residents to sell power back to the City and implementing municipal generation projects such as Steenbras Hydropower, solar PV, and gas turbines.
Also read:
Picture: @CityofCT / Twitter