Work has been completed on a new pipeline that will distribute treated effluent water from the City of Cape Town’s Athlone Wastewater Treatment Works to surrounding areas.
“Despite Cape Town’s rapid growth in population and industrial expansion we showed a significant 26% saving in water usage by the end of the previous financial year on 30 June and the new pipeline will help us improve on that figure,” says Alderman Clive Justus, Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services.
“Five years ago the City implemented a programme to save water and, in June 2007, we adopted a R759 million Water Demand Management Strategy to reduce unnecessary losses and wastage. The new pipeline will now make available, purified and treated sewage effluent which is of high quality and which is eminently suitable for use for irrigation and by industry,” Alderman Justus said.
The treated effluent is suitable for irrigation and industrial processes where it is not necessary to use potable water. Treated effluent is currently distributed to the Durbanville farming area, the Chevron oil refinery in Milnerton, the Century City development and to various local schools and sports fields.
Interest had been expressed by the Grand West Casino, the Old Mutual complex, several factories in Epping, schools, sport fields and two golf courses along the route of the pipelines.
The initial supply will be approximately 21 million litres per month and the plant has ample capacity to further increase this as more treated effluent users are linked to the network. The project cost R34 million, which includes the cost of constructing a pump station for distribution, three pipelines, filter banks, electrical control panels and ponds to store the treated effluent.
Construction has been completed on the three pipelines, one from Grand West towards Thornton Station which then follows the Elsieskraal canal through Pinelands towards the N2. A second pipeline has been constructed along Jan Smuts Drive in the direction of Sunrise Circle, turning off along Avonduur Road and crossing Forest Drive and then linking up with the Elsieskraal pipeline. The third pipeline has been constructed parallel to the N2 in front of the old Athlone Power Station, through Langa and Bonteheuwel towards Epping Industria.
Alderman Justus said: “The City of Cape Town is committed to optimising its water usage and wishes to thank the public in the area where construction has taken place for their co-operation and patience while the pipeline was being laid. This new treated effluent water system will provide long term benefits to the city and reduce water wastage by permitting us to use it more than once.”
Martin Pollack
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