Cape Town: The Water and Sanitation Directorate visited the Cape Town Science Centre to share the insights on its Water Strategy and Implementation of the New Water Programme with the STEM Clubs Network on Saturday, Feb 08, 2025.
Reportedly, the network comprises of primary and high school STEM Clubs across the Western Cape. This inspired the young learners to excel in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Teachers from the Metro Central and South districts were in attendance at Saturday’s Level Up Lab.
This inspired the latest in a series of stakeholder interactions that aims at raising awareness among different community groups, about the objectives of the New Water Programme by the City of Cape Town, a key initiative aiming at diversifying sources of water supply for more sustainability.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that the STEM Clubs Network is an excellent platform to reach schools, where young minds and future scientists can get in-depth knowledge about water reuse and desalination.
Badroodien explained their objective by discussing the plan of the City of Cape Town with the educators, which is to co-create the enriching learning sessions targeted at the youth.
Furthermore, the feedback received will guide the development of educational materials of the Cape Town that highlighted the critical role of the alternative water resources, in helping Cape Town to rebuild the resilience against climate change and drought.
Councillor Badroodien expressed that they are excited about the opportunity to inspire the next generation of innovators who may one day run the water treatment plants but the direct engagements will also allow engineering experts to address the concerns about how advanced technology can purify wastewater and seawater to drinking quality standards.
New Water Programme
City of Cape Town’s New Water Programme (NWP) is a multi-phase initiative which is taken to improve the water security of the city by developing different water sources such as surface water, seawater desalination, groundwater and water reuse.
The programme is a response to the increasing water demand, climate variability and the need to build the resilience against future droughts. This includes:
- Faure New Water Scheme – a water reuse project
- Paarden Eiland Desalination Plant – a seawater desalination project
- Clearing of Invasive Plant Species and Groundwater Extraction
STEM Club Network
It was launched by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) in collaboration with the Cape Town Science Centre (CTSC). STEM Club Network promotes and supports science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) clubs through extracurricular programmes in schools across the Western Cape.
At present, more than 230 clubs will be operated within the all eight educational districts that will cater to primary school learners (from grades 4-7) and high school learners (from grades 8-11). However, Schools who are interested in joining can register their STEM clubs through the programme.