The upgraded Zandvliet Waste Water Treatment Works has been handed over by the contractor to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.

Contractors in the city are not named to protect them from extortion attempts by the so-called construction mafia.

The Zandvliet upgrade is one of the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) largest ever infrastructure projects, and will service lower income households in the eastern part of the metro.

The upgrade increases treatment capacity from 72-million to 90-million litres a day to support Cape Town’s growing population and economy.

According to city officials, the plant has seen an improvement in effluent quality owing to membrane treatment technology which treats water to close to potable standards.

“We officially celebrate the completion of one of the biggest water and sanitation projects we have ever undertaken . . . and as far as I am concerned, the best R2-billion we could ever spend,” says Hill-Lewis.

“The biggest impact of this Zandvliet upgrade will be directly to the lives – and the dignity – of the families who live in the areas serviced by this plant. Here we’re talking about communities in Delft, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni and Blue Downs – some of the fastest-growing catchments in the city.

“By increasing the capacity of this plant we are positioning Cape Town to grow and flourish as we cross the five-million mark to become South Africa’s most populous metro,” he adds.

Aside from increased capacity, the Zandvliet upgrade will ensure that treated effluent meets all licence requirements as laid out by the National Department of Water and Sanitation.

“In time, treated wastewater from this upgraded plant will be supplied to a state-of-the-art new water scheme to be built at the Faure Water Treatment Plant and Reservoir in the coming years,” notes Water and Sanitation MMC Zahid Badroodien.

“This will be further purified to drinking water standards via a multibarrier purification process to ensure the highest applicable safety standards.

“The water will then be blended with dam water to augment the water that feeds the existing Faure Water Treatment Plant, and fed into the city's water supply across all areas.

“Overall, the city is aiming to add around 7% to our metro’s potable water supply through re-use by 2040,” adds Badroodien.