City of Cape Town has invested more than R5.5M to replace 2,244 metres of sewer pipes in Maitland as part of its sewer and water pipe replacement efforts. The project aims to reduce sewer spills and improve sanitation services.
Reportedly, the Water and Sanitation Directorate of City of Cape Town is accelerating its sewer and water pipe replacement efforts. One of the projects is currently in its final stages and is the Maitland Sewer Pipe Replacement Project, that started in January 2023.
As a part of the Mayor’s Priority Programme (MPP), the Water and Sanitation Directorate has expanded its Sewer and Water Pipe Replacement Programme and has set aside R836.6 M for infrastructure maintenance and pipe replacements for the 2023-24 financial year.
The first phase of the Maitland project saw the replacement of 2244m of sewer pipes that were found between one to five metres underground in Steen Street, Royal Road, Camden Street, Kensington Street, Coronation Road, Amstel Road, Miramonte Street, Janssens Road and Bodmin Street.
As per the sources, the need for the replacement was identified after the area that experienced multiple sewer pipe collapses and overflow reoccurrence.
Furthermore, the trenchless replacement method was used for the project which is called as Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) where the approximate 70-year-old vitrified clay sewer pipe is relined with a textile tube coated in resin which hardens after insertion.
It is a jointless and seamless pipe-lining method within an existing pipe and is one of the most widely used rehabilitation methods.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien conducted a site visit alongside the Maitland Ratepayers Association. They have received a comprehensive project briefing from the City’s Reticulation team and were pleased with the notable progress made on the project despite the challenges that arose while including stubborn blockages that were caused by the illegal dumping of foreign matter and building rubble into the sewer pipeline.
While conducting the site visit Badroodien said, “I am pleased that a significant section of Maitland’s sewer pipes were successfully relined as part of this complex sewer replacement project. The Pipeline replacement forms a part of the Water and Sanitation Directorate’s strategy to reduce the number of sewer spills and to provide efficient sanitation services.”
The city aims to replace 100km of sewer pipes per year over the next three financial years, said the Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
