Progress is being made on the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT's) R87.5-million upgrade of the Bayside Canal, from Blaauwberg road to the Rietvlei in Tableview, in the Western Cape.

Work is expected to be completed by mid-June 2025, after breaking ground in November last year.

The CoCT’s Water and Sanitation Directorate identified the need to upgrade the Bayside Canal to cater for increased stormwater flow during peak periods, as a result of development within the catchment area, explained Water and Sanitation MMC Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

“The aim of this upgrade is threefold: to increase the capacity of the Bayside Canal; to provide naturally structured treatment facilities which improve the quality of stormwater runoff that flows from the canal into the Rietvlei and to provide adequate access for systematic maintenance in the future,” he said.

The upgrades will address the major challenges where litter and pollution from various stormwater channels end up in the Rietvlei.

The scope of the upgrade includes lining the side slopes of the canal situated south of Blaauwberg road; providing floating litter booms to remove solid waste from the stormwater; and constructing parallel primary sedimentation ponds, a secondary treatment channel and reed bed ponds for further treatment to improve the quality of the water; as well as constructing a bypass channel and laydown areas next to the primary ponds and secondary treatment channel for access for future maintenance.

“Great care is being taken to ensure that the upgrade enhances the natural ecosystem of the Rietvlei and surrounds. Waterbodies opposite West Coast road will remain undisturbed. There will also be no interference to the aquatic and natural habitat,” he says, adding that a search and rescue operation was conducted before construction started, to locate rare and endangered plant species, as well as to gather plants for both on and off-site restoration.

“I am excited about the significant advantages it will provide for the community, not only in preventing future flooding, but also in enhancing the quality of the stormwater that enters the Rietvlei.

“This investment is part of the City's collective efforts towards our ambitious goals to become a more water-sensitive city and improve the health of the city's waterways,” concluded Badroodien.