The City of Cape Town is set to transform the Manenberg Canal with a multi-million rand upgrade, aimed at reducing pollution and flood risks while improving water quality and safety for surrounding communities, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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According to the City, the canal spans more than 3km.
The R50 million project, now in its final design phase, is set to begin construction in November 2025, featuring new sediment and litter traps and replacing the existing canal with an upgraded open design.
Currently, the canal is a concrete-lined low-flow channel, situated within a grass high-flow channel.
‘The planned upgrades are part of the recommendations following a conditional assessment, which determined that there were large amounts of solid waste in the Manenberg Canal, coupled with other challenges such as extensive deterioration of the concrete panels and dense vegetation along sections of the watercourse impeding flow,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien
A third of the stormwater infrastructure around the canal is compromised.
In March 2023, the City engaged communities in wards 30 and 46 for input on the project.
The City says that all feedback was considered in finalising the concept designs.
On 21 and 28 September 2024, another round of public participation meetings took place to give a progress update and present the final detailed designs.
‘Upgrading the Manenberg Canal is essential to improving living and environmental conditions in the area.
‘Widening the canal and the advancement of the structural design will ease flow and has significant advantages, especially when combined with measures to prevent waste from traveling further down the catchment,’ adds Badroodien.
‘The benefits derived by the community not only include flood risk mitigation, but also improved quality of the stormwater that enters the Vygekraal River.’
The City urges residents to use refuse bins and waste collection centres, as dumping in rivers or canals worsens water quality issues and contributes to costly maintenance challenges.
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Picture: City of Cape Town