Cape Town - The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation has urged municipalities to adopt best practices that are used by the City of Cape Town in managing wastewater to ensure a sustainable and cleaner environment.
The committee received a briefing from both the Department of Water and Sanitation and the City, and said it is of the view that struggling municipalities should engage the Cape Town municipality for benchmarking purposes for them to turn the tide of poor waste water management.
“The Department of Water and Sanitation together with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs must encourage municipalities to interact and resolve this old challenge in the country. It is only through collaboration and sharing of best practice that communities will be saved from overflowing untreated water into the environment which has a negative impact on the ecosystem,” said Leon Basson, Committee chairperson.
The committee noted that the standard set by the City of Cape Town, especially its forward-looking model of infrastructure development and maintenance should be adopted by all municipalities.
“The committee was informed that the City has a 20-year capital investment programme, which will assist it to plan better and channel resources towards infrastructure development and maintenance.
“The investment of an estimated R 6.1 billion capital investment programme over the next 10-year period is a welcomed initiative and will ensure increased access and better management of the system,” Basson added.
In December, three of Cape Town’s water reuse schemes were added to the Global Connections Map, compiled by the Water Services Association of Australia in partnership with the USA’s WaterReuse Association.
The interactive online tool spotlights locations where 100 drinking water reuse schemes are situated worldwide.
There are currently 35 cities where water reuse projects are plotted, which are either planned, built or already in operation.
This illustrates how several international communities now rely on water reuse, as part of their strategy to sustain drinking water supply.
“Cape Town is not alone in its efforts to augment water supply through alternative sources. Globally, purified recycled water is already part of the drinking water system for 30 million people,” said the Water and Sanitation mayco member, Zahid Badroodien.
“Cape Town is investing more in infrastructure than Johannesburg and Durban combined, with a capital budget 91% larger than Joburg and 117% larger than eThekwini over the next three years.
“Water and Sanitation represent 42% of our approximate R120bn 10-year infrastructure pipeline, funding critical projects from our New Water Programme that will produce 300 million litres of drinking water daily by 2030.
“Unlike other metros, Cape Town is proactively securing its water future through innovative solutions that ensure resilience against climate change and population growth,” said Badroodien.