Cape Town: The Newlands Reservoir received its annual cleaning. The Water and Sanitation Directorate of the City of Cape Town is in the final stretch of completing the cleaning of Newlands Reservoir as part of its annual proactive water maintenance programme.
The work started on Monday, May 05, 2025 and it is anticipated to be completed on Friday, May 16, 2025. The programme was adopted further as a part of commitment made by the city to provide the highest quality drinking water to the residents. The work helps to ensure that Cape Town’s tap water always remains safe to drink and use.
Reportedly, the City of Cape Town is carrying out its annual cleaning and maintenance operation at the Newlands Reservoir to ensure the long-term safety and functionality of the critical water infrastructure. This routine work is essential to prevent the sediments in order to build-up on the reservoir floor.
Cleaning a reservoir of this big size is not a small task! It requires careful planning before, during and after the operation. These activities are generally scheduled for the winter months, when lower water demand allows the reservoir to be temporarily taken offline without affecting the supply.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that this year in 2025, the City of Cape Town has invested over R640,000 in the maintenance of Newlands Reservoir.
The cost spent on Newlands Reservoir is significantly less than in previous years. thanks to the use of in-house equipment, that includes city-owned pumps, bobcats and cranes. A team of 60 to 70 staff members from various bulk water facilities that are also collaborating on the project.
Moreover, the reservoir was gradually emptied to prepare for the cleaning. Once drained, the teams manually scoured the floor by using hard-bristle brooms and squeegees. It is followed by maintenance on the reservoir valves and detailed structural inspections to ensure that the reservoir remains in good condition before refilling.
The teams have taken every precaution measure to ensure that there are no disruptions to water supply for residents reliant on the reservoir. The operation has progressed smoothly and was completed by Friday, May 16, 2025.
Once the final checks are done, the reservoir will be refilled and operations will resume as normal. Following this, Councillor Badroodien extended a sincere gratitude to all the dedicated staff who made the year’s operation a success and who continued to work year-round to maintain the infrastructure.