NEWS RELEASE                                                                                    17 September 2002

WATER SAVING PROJECT THAT SAVES R27M PER ANNUM WINS PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL AWARD FOR CITY OF CAPE TOWN                                                                

A world-class project to save water in Khayelitsha by reducing the water pressure has won the acclaim of the international engineering community and a prestigious national award from the South African Institution of Civil Engineers.

The project has been recognised around the world for its technical excellence and community support as well as the substantial financial benefits it has brought for both the City of Cape Town and the Khayelitsha community.  

At present water rates, the project will save nine million cubic metres of water a year or 12% of the output from the R2 billion Skuifraam Dam being built near Franschhoek. This represents a financial saving of R27 million a year.  

Councillor David Erleigh, the City’s Executive councillor for Trading Services, described the Khayelitsha Pressure Management Project as “more than one of the most important water conservation projects to have taken place in South Africa”. “It is also one of the most significant projects of its type worldwide,” he said. 

Councillor Erleigh praised the Khayelitsha community for its wholehearted support and involvement. “Bearing in mind the scarcity of water in the Western Cape, our partnership with the community on this project will yield huge water savings and reduce the water bills to be paid by the community,” he added. 

Before the project began, it was estimated that Khayelitsha was losing up to 75% of its water supply through leaks in household plumbing systems which had been badly damaged by exposure to high pressure.

Local labour was used throughout the project and community support was a key factor in its success. There have been no reports of vandalism or theft of equipment.

“We are proud that the project, which includes the largest advanced pressure control operation in the world, has been acclaimed as world best practice by numerous international experts,” said Councillor Erleigh. “It is a great success for the City of Cape Town because of its technical excellence, its contribution to environmental sustainability and the improvement in the level of service to the 450 000 inhabitants it serves.”

Khayelitsha is about 24 square kilometres in extent and is home to some 450 000 people. There are 43 000 sites with both internal water supply and waterborne sewerage systems. A further 27 000 shacks are supplied with water through standpipes. The area is supplied with water through two pipes from the Blackheath Reservoir, situated on an elevation of 110 metres.

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