Cape Town: Science and expertise bond together to bring out the best from planned desalination plant. The City of Cape Town approved of a plan to establish a state-of-the-art desalination plant in Paarden Eiland that will be driven and informed by science, expertise and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Reportedly, the project is a fundamental part of roll-out of the New Water Programme by the City of Cape Town. It is a proactive initiative that aims to secure a more resilient future for water supply in Cape Town.
This additional project to the water supply department of City of Cape Town will continue to meet the excellent drinking water quality standards in compliance with SANS 241:2015 standards.
As per the sources, Desalination is a proven technology which is used globally in the process of converting seawater into safe quality drinking water. Such as the Erongo Desalination Plant in Namibia, demonstrated the success of the technology with plans for the construction of a second desalination plant already under way.
Advanced Technological Innovation
It is a Science driven technological innovation. The desalination project by the City of Cape Town is being developed and is based in rigorous scientific research and advanced technological innovation.
Furthermore, the design of the plant features a comprehensive multi-barrier treatment process with Reverse Osmosis (RO) that plays a key role by using high-pressure membranes to remove dissolved salts.
However, several steps taken together in the process will ensure the safe production of high-quality drinking water. A UV oxidation step will also be considered in the project, depending on the results of the seawater quality.
Brine management is another critical component with environmentally-responsible strategies outlined for discharging the concentrate into the sea. All of these water treatment methodologies adhere to global best practices, in an effort to manage the plant operations efficiently, while minimising environmental impact.
Experts Take
To make this project successful, experts’ guidance is required very much. To further meet the international standards, the City of Cape Town has established a comprehensive water quality monitoring programme that focuses mainly on the proposed seawater abstraction zone, near the harbour.
Notably, a multi-disciplinary Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) comprised of local and international experts was established to guide the planning and design of the Paarden Eiland desalination plant.
Followed by the successful completion of the first term panel, the City of Cape Town is now working towards a longer-term agreement with IAP, through the Water Research Commission. The independent panel will bring the valuable, multidisciplinary expertise in numerous areas, such as:
- Water Quality
- Public Safety
- Project Financing
- Desalination Technology
- Water Purification
- Engineering
- Marine and Environmental Sciences
Evaluation of all aspects of the implementation plan by the City of Cape Town has been done. Now, the IAP will review and give guidance throughout the planning, construction and operational phases of the plant.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that the proposed desalination plant forms part of the broader Water Strategy by the City of Cape Town to produce an additional 300 million litres of water per day, from various sources, including water reuse, groundwater extraction and the clearing of invasive alien plants.
The Desalination is expected to produce 50 to 70 million litres of water per day, to significantly bolster the diversified water resources of Cape Town. “This will enable us to build resilience by supplementing our water supply, to provide for generations to come,” stated Badroodien.
Supporting Partners
At present, a feasibility study is under way in collaboration with the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) of National Treasury to explore the most suitable, sustainable and cost-effective options for financing, building and operating the plant.
City of Cape Town has recently completed an optional, pre-application scoping phase from Nov 14 to Dec 13, in year 2024, as a part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. Purpose of this option was to adequately identify and register interested and effective parties (I&APs).
It will also gauge initial public sentiment and feedback from various authorities on the planned project. The next phase of the EIA process is the scoping phase that is scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2025.
The city is inviting the public to participate in the process by tabling their views to help in shaping the implementation of the critical project.