Between July 2023 and June 2024, the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will spend more than R12 million to replace and repair 6 590 stolen and vandalised sewer covers throughout Cape Town, Cape {town} Etc reports.
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This critical infrastructure is required to ensure public safety and the proper operation of the sewer network.
The City continues to replace sewer drain manhole covers, which endanger public safety by allowing extraneous objects to enter the sewer system, destroying pipes and causing blockages.
Many covers are reported stolen or destroyed as a result of vandalism, with a high replacement cost, much of which can be avoided with public awareness and behavioural change.
During the winter, missing drain covers put pressure on operations and increased call-outs. Excess rain floods the sewer system, increasing the likelihood and frequency of spills.
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‘It’s important for the public to be aware that replacing vandalised or stolen manhole covers puts a strain on the City’s financial resources, and causes delays in rendering services as maintenance demands amplify,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien. ‘Each act of criminality diverts valuable time and funding away from daily essential services.’
Several factors affect the total cost per job, taking into account whether it requires just replacing a cover or completely reconstructing the manhole frame.
‘Replacing manhole covers is essential to ensuring public safety for vehicles, pedestrians and infrastructure integrity. It also improves the reliability of our sewer systems, reducing unwanted experiences of sewer overflows on streets, resulting from blocked drains caused by illegal dumping through open manholes.’
‘While the immediate focus is to ensure that all manholes are secured, the City maintains its surveillance over sewer infrastructure. We urge residents to keep reporting and act proactively, working together with the City to eliminate this challenge,’ said Badroodien.
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Also read:
City of Cape Town close to meet target of replacing 50km of water pipes
Picture: City of Cape Town / Facebook
