With Cape Town’s dam levels at less than 50%, learners at Melton Primary School in Kleinvlei, Eerste River, recently received a lively lesson in water security when the City’s water mascot, Manzi visited the school.
Through a fun and interactive session, learners from Grades 4 to 7 were introduced to the City’s New Water Programme (NWP), an ambitious initiative aimed at increasing Cape Town’s water supply by an additional 300 million litres per day while supporting the vision of becoming a water-sensitive city by 2040. The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to encourage water-saving habits among young residents and their families.
Manzi and the Water and Sanitation Directorate’s Community Engagement team regularly visit schools across Cape Town to raise awareness about responsible water use while introducing learners to the challenges and opportunities surrounding the City’s water future.
The programme encourages learners to adopt responsible water-use habits and understand how everyday actions can help protect the city’s limited water resources. Learners are also encouraged to share these lessons at home, helping their families and communities practise water-wise behaviours such as fixing leaks, using water efficiently and avoiding unnecessary waste.
During the session, learners explored topics including:
- how water is used in everyday life
- the natural and urban water cycles
- the concept of water balance – understanding the relationship between water supply and demand
- threats to water security, including ageing infrastructure, climate change impacts, and a growing population, all of which place increasing pressure on available water resources.
The City’s New Water Programme (NWP), which will diversify Cape Town’s water supply through:
- Water Re-use: Implementing purified recycled wastewater, adding 70 to 100 million litres per day.
- Desalination: Removing salt from seawater to provide 50 to 70 million litres per day.
- Clearing invasive plant species and river management interventions: Improving catchment health to unlock approximately 30 million litres per day.
- Groundwater: Developing boreholes and tapping natural springs to secure over 100 million litres per day.
In addition to developing new water sources, the City continues to prioritise water conservation and demand management initiatives. These include reducing water losses through proactive leak detection and repairs, upgrading water infrastructure, encouraging the installation of water-efficient fixtures and appliances, and promoting everyday water-saving habits among residents.
‘While the New Water Programme will diversify and strengthen Cape Town’s water supply, saving and protecting water remains just as important.
‘Currently our dam levels are around 50% and we continue to call on the public to help save water. Education initiatives like these help keep water conservation top of mind for everyone, including children who represent the future of our city.
‘Every resident, business and learner has a role to play by using water responsibly, fixing leaks, and adopting water-saving habits at home and at school. By combining new water sources with responsible water use, we can ensure that Cape Town remains resilient and water secure for generations to come,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
To book Manzi for a visit at your school email: communications.waterandsanitation@capetown.gov.za
