To curb vandalism and illegal dumping into the sewer system, the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has installed more than 500 lockable manhole covers across sewer and reticulation infrastructure in the metro. The initiative seeks to reduce unauthorised access to the sewer system and prevent tampering, theft, and illegal dumping. Wesbank is the latest community to benefit from the wider roll-out, with over R1,4 million invested to install 72 lockable manhole covers in the area.
The City began installing lockable manhole covers across Cape Town in June 2025 to protect critical infrastructure and address one of the leading causes of sewer blockages.
The new covers have no scrap value, reducing the risk of theft, and can only be accessed by City officials and contractors through a specialised key. They are also made from a UV-stabilised glass fibre reinforced sheet, which is lightweight and fire resistant.
In addition to the covers already installed on water and sewer reticulation manholes, a further 151 have been installed at the City’s Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) chambers and Treated Effluent (TE) supply infrastructure.
Communities including Somerset West, Eerste River, Kuils River, Brackenfell, Kraaifontein, Atlantis, Hout Bay, Constantia, Cape Town CBD, Bellville, Athlone and Lansdowne have benefitted from the lockable covers.
Roll-out in Wesbank
During the Mayor’s recent Service Delivery Blitz in Blue Downs, Eerste River and surrounding areas, the delegation visited the site where the first installation was completed in Wesbank.
A total of 72 lockable manhole covers will be installed in Wesbank over the next few weeks, with a further 20 to be installed in Kalkfontein at a total cost of R1,4 million. This cost includes the supply of the covers and associated installation work, including demolition, road reinstatement, repainting of affected road markings and related work.
‘Many of the sewer blockages experienced in Wesbank are caused by the illegal disposal of foreign objects into the sewer network. This misuse results in recurring blockages and overflows, which negatively impact residents and place additional strain on municipal resources.
‘To address this challenge, the City will be piloting the installation of lockable manhole covers in Block E, where the highest concentration of sewer blockages in Wesbank has been recorded. This will allow the City to assess the effectiveness of lockable covers in preventing unauthorised access to manholes and reducing the illegal disposal of foreign objects into the sewer system. The outcomes of the pilot will inform potential roll-outs to other affected areas.
‘Many communities across our city struggle with sewer blockages and overflows because of foreign objects being dumped into the sewer system. Our hope is that the lockable covers will deter against vandalism and misuse,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
