Cape Town: The Water and Sanitation Directorate of the City of Cape Town has accelerated the work of pipe replacement programme, with multiple sewer and water pipe replacement projects progressing full steam ahead.
Reportedly, one of the projects has kicked off on Jan 25, 2025 that rehabilitated the sewer network in Panorama. The work will see 2.6 km of sewers rehabilitated.
As a part of the Mayoral Priority Programme (MPP), the City of Cape Town allocated R323 million for infrastructure maintenance and pipe replacements in the 2024-25 financial year. The investment supports the directorate strategy to reduce sewer overspills to improve service delivery in sanitation.
Moreover, the Panorama Project involves rehabilitation of approximately 2.6 kms of 150 mm diameter sewer pipelines, across several streets such as:
- Piketberg Street
- Constantia Street
- Alk van Zyl Avenue
- Drostdy Street
- Panorama Drive
- Hennie Winterbach Street
- Heidelberg Street
- and, Cradock Street
As per the sources, the pipeline replacement model was applied and identified that the area for prioritisation due to repeated sewer overflows and collapses over the past two years.
Investigations through CCTV inspections revealed that ageing infrastructure comprising of 50-years-old fibre cement pipes with excessive root intrusion was the primary cause of pipe bursts.
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Water and Sanitation – Councillor Zahid Badroodien said that a large section of Panorama’s sewer pipes will be rehabilitated through the complex replacement project, which is expected to be completed by June 2025.
The residents should anticipate noise and traffic disruptions while work is under way. This will be managed by the city-appointed contractor. They apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate their patience as they undertake this essential maintenance work to improve sanitation services for the benefit of the community.
To rehabilitate the sewers, the City of Cape Town is using a trenchless method known as cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining. The process involves inserting a resin-coated textile tube into the existing pipe, which hardens to form a seamless, joint-free lining.
CIPP is one of the most widely used trenchless rehabilitation techniques. It is utilised due to its efficiency and minimal surface disruption. The scope of project includes CCTV inspections before and after rehabilitation, as well as thorough cleaning of sewer lines to remove illegally dumped debris and targeted repairs where necessary.