The Western Cape has successfully made it back from the near-disaster that was Day Zero – the day the taps would run dry as the Cape’s major water-supply dams dried up. Since then, Capetonians have had a shift in mentality, and many are still keeping measures in place to continue saving water.
The City of Cape Town recently announced that it has implemented a new water strategy, and this has secured funding from the German government to the value of R93-million.
The grant will be paid via the German Development Bank KfW, and according to IOL, it will be used to cover a wide range of technical assistance, educational and training measures to support the City’s drive towards water resilience. “For the German government to consider such a substantial investment into the implementation of the City’s water strategy is a significant indication of good faith and confidence in the exemplary work that has been produced by our Water and Sanitation Department,” Mayco Member for Water and Waste Services, Xanthea Limberg, said.
The grant will be allocated into two separate allotments, with approximately R1.2-million being set aside for educational and training measures in wastewater treatment, while another R4.5-million allocated to support City projects.
“It (the grant) will be used for a range of professional services and technical training, including optimal use of wastewater as a resource, with energy/resource efficiency and price considerations; greenhouse gas reduction objectives; development of a risk management strategy for reuse and appropriate monitoring programme taking into account contaminants of emerging concern; and updating the City’s stormwater master plans; along with various other projects,” Limberg said.
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