On Friday, 04 March, the City of Cape Town officially opened the R162 million Baden Powell Drive bulk water pipeline, which will strengthen water supply to thousands of Khayelitsha residents. Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien was on site to celebrate the unwavering efforts of the team and support from the community to see a very complex project become a reality to benefit our residents.
The Khayelitsha bulk water pipeline project involves six kilometres of new pipelines with diameters varying from 1 200mm to 800mm Installed, together with related fittings and ancillary works to strengthen water supply in the eastern areas such as Enkanini, Makaza, Kuyasa, Harare and surroundings.
The new pipeline connects from the existing 2,4m diameter Faure bulk main pipeline at the northern end to the existing reticulation network at three positions, the southernmost being Mew Way. To avoid disruption, trenchless technology was used to construct the pipeline when it had to go under roads, canals and underground infrastructure for existing services (e.g. electricity). For example, instead of stopping traffic to dig up a road to lay the pipe, the trenchless technology method makes a tunnel underground in which the pipe is inserted. This was especially useful as the pipeline had to cross under infrastructure like the N2 highway, the Kuils River and Kleinvlei Canal and a pressure-reducing valve station.
‘Today is a service delivery milestone for the City and Khayelitsha residents because the new pipeline will strengthen water supply to the area. This new major supply pipeline will transfer an estimated 3 200 litres of water per second into the existing water reticulation system in Khayelitsha.
‘The purpose of this project was to construct an additional bulk water-supply pipeline and pressure reducing station, which will supply Khayelitsha from the south-east, Baden Powell Drive side. This additional bulk water supply line will benefit the growing Khayelitsha community and will augment the existing feed into the area, which is only from the north-western side,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
Key benefits of this newly-installed pipeline:
- It will allow for more development in Khayelitsha in future.
- The lifespan of the pipelines is at least 50 years, and could last up to 100 years or more. This means less disruptions in water supply for residents which are needed when maintenance and repairs have to be done.
- The new pressure-reducing station will enable dynamic pressure management to maintain consistent water supply pressure to the area;
- There will be less waste of water through leaks and losses, especially at night, and an increased pressure to those living in higher lying areas.
Glimpse of the journey
Before the new pipeline was installed, households in the eastern region such as Enkanini, Makaza, Kuyasa experienced lower water pressure than those in the northern and western regions. This was due to the distance from the existing 1 065mm diameter bulk supply main on the north-western side, combined with rapid and sustained growth in the area and associated demand on supply.
During 2020, engineers had to redesign the pipeline route as residents who had settled on the land were not open to relocating. In addition, soon after the national lockdown commenced, new informal structures were also erected. The City attempted to protect the land and ensure efforts to enhance service delivery were not derailed, but did not succeed as the High Court ruled in favour of the land invaders.
Further delays were caused by instances of protest action, challenges associated with the national Covid-19 lockdown and setting alight of the contractor’s equipment on site.
‘This has been a complex and challenging project, which required lots of planning and coordination. Thank you to the City’s water and sanitation team and our contractors and consultants, who have worked tirelessly, and remained committed, despite the challenges, to see this project go from plans on paper to a reality for our residents. Thank you also to our residents for their understanding and patience while work was being done, and ward councillors for their support. This project actions the City’s commitment to ensure a reliable water supply for our residents,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
The City will continue to pursue opportunities to enhance service delivery in Khayelitsha.