Cape Town: Only few days are left to comment on the implementation of the Faure New Water Scheme (FNWS). The project aims to provide more drinking water for Cape Town. The residents can submit their views by Thursday, April 17, 2025, as the scheme should use a municipal-run approach, outsourcing the operation or using the public-private partnership (PPP).
The Water and Sanitation Directorate of the City of Cape Town held the second public information session on April 03, 2025 at Strand Town Hall, where the project team unpacked the plans for the proposed FNWS, which is a vital part of the city’s action plan to build the water-secure future of the Cape Town.
The public has been provided with another opportunity to engage with the Directorate on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. online by accessing Microsoft Teams.
Comments submitted by the residents holds a great significance. The City of Cape Town is the designated water services provider for Cape Town residents, as the nature of the FNWS means it might be more feasible to contract an external company to provide these services for this particular project.
Moreover, the City of Cape Town is conducting a feasibility study in terms of the Section-78 process of the Local Government: Municipal Systems Act, Act 32 of 2000 and requires input from the local community.
The proposed FNWS will supply an additional 70 to 100 million litres of water daily to drinking water network of Cape Town, it reduced the reliance on rainfall-dependent dams. It formed parts of the City’s broader strategy to diversify water sources through surface water, desalination, groundwater and its reuse.
Considering this, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that once this first phase of the public participation process has been concluded, the FNWS project team will finalise the feasibility study and request views, comprising of the recommendations from National Treasury and from the public again.
Notably, the feedback will be incorporated into a comprehensive stakeholder engagement report and thereafter the final feasibility report will be submitted to the Council for a decision on the nest service delivery model for the FNWS. As they want to hear from the public to submit their comments before the deadline.