The City of Cape Town saves more than eight billion liters of drinking water per year. (Photo: Unsplash)
The City of Cape Town now saves more than eight billion liters of drinking water per year thanks to the increasing use of treated waste water.
Zahid Badroodien, the city’s mayoral committee member for water and sanitation, says this is possible thanks to the cooperation of the municipality’s water and sanitation directorate, residents and businesses.
Badroodien recently visited the treated wastewater reuse (TER) pumping stations with the water demand management and regulation team in Bellville and Scottsdene. “With dam levels currently below half, it is more important than ever to use drinking water wisely. Because rainfall is unpredictable this year, every drop counts.”
Treated waste water is more affordable than drinking water, he says.
He says one practical way residents and businesses can help is to use waste water for purposes such as irrigation and industrial use. “This not only takes the pressure off the drinking water supply, but also lowers the costs for users.”
Treated wastewater is wastewater that has undergone a rigorous treatment process at wastewater treatment plants to remove pollutants, making it safe for release into the environment. Part of this water is further filtered and supplied to customers for uses that do not include drinking it.
It is supplied from nine wastewater treatment plants in the city: Athlone, Bellville, the Cape Flats, Kraaifontein, Macassar, Potsdam, Scottsdene, Zandvliet and Melkbosstrand.
The Bellville TER pumping station and filtration plant was commissioned in March 2025 and currently supplies around 4.3 million liters of treated wastewater per day to users along a network of approximately 15 km. The construction of the pumping station in Scottsdene started in September 2023 and was completed in December 2025.
By the end of April, this facility will provide up to six million liters of wastewater per day. Industries, sports facilities, parks, developments and schools in areas that include Bellville Industria, Bellville South, Stikland, Glenhaven, Kuilsrivier, Scottsdene, Northpine, Wallacedene, Brackenfell and Proteahoogte are encouraged to put this alternative to the test in the city.
The construction of the R36 million Zandvliet pumping station, which started in September 2024, is 85% complete and is expected to be completed by the end of September this year.
Badroodien says 345 users along a network of 330 km currently use the waste water for non-drinking uses. “We should only use drinking water for essential purposes.”