City Preps for Winter Downpour

Each year Transport for Cape Town, the City’s transport authority, undertakes major maintenance projects to mitigate and limit potential flooding associated with the winter rainfall season. By the end of May 2016, the planning department of Transport for Cape Town (TCT) would have spent more than 90% of the budget intended for the maintenance and cleaning of stormwater infrastructure, channels, canals and rivers.

The maintenance and planned cleaning undertaken by TCT’s eight district offices is a mammoth task, given that TCT is responsible for 7 500 km of pipes, culverts and underground conduits across the city, cleaned on a monthly basis including 180 000 catch-pits, 85 000 stormwater manholes and 850 stormwater retention ponds that are all cleaned at least once every three months. There’s also the 1 200 km of rivers, canals and open channels which are cleaned at least twice a year, fortnightly in some areas where illegal dumping and littering is endemic.

Expenditure currently stands at R60,8 million, with another R17,6 million to be spent this month. By 31 May 2016, all of the eight districts will have spent at least 93% of their budget.

TCT hires specialised river and stormwater network cleaning equipment with long-reach excavators and also use wheeled loaders to remove rubbish. It is difficult and costly to remove silt and other debris from the underground infrastructure.

“The biggest challenge remains illegal dumping and littering. We clean the canals, rivers, inlets and culverts as often as our resources allow, however, I must admit that we cannot keep up with the frequency and dumping of waste in our water resources and other road infrastructure. I am appealing to our residents to please work with us, as these objects block our stormwater infrastructure, resulting in flooding during heavy downpours.” – Brett Herron

STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER:
TRANSPORT FOR CAPE TOWN, COUNCILLOR BRETT HERRON
Tel: 021 400 1298 or Cell: 082 518 3264
E-mail: brett.herron@capetown.gov.za
(please always copy media.account@capetown.gov.za)