Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
City allays concerns over Faure water scheme
CLEARING the concerns about the Faure New Water Scheme, the City of Cape Town said it was to ensure public health and minimising environmental impacts – aiming to cater for future urban growth and limiting the severity of water restrictions in future.
The R2 billion plant is in the planning and design phase, and is expected to be operational in 2026.
Mayco member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien gave clarity following a series of mixed reactions towards the project, with concerns raised on social media questioning the fate of the project after he announced the appointment of an independent advisory panel last week.
Citizens wondered about the reliability of the panel and capabilities of Badroodien.
“They all have advisers but can they believe them if they don’t have knowledge and experience on that? Advisers can tell you anything and you believe it. The City should start by employing qualified people to do the job. Badroodien is a doctor, what knowledge has he got about water, sanitation and solid waste? That’s a special field,” said Martin Essl.
They had concerns about the inconvenience and safety of the project from possible contamination that could affect lots of people. They said these kinds of water sources are not 100% pure and could negatively affect both humans and biodiversity.
One of the newly appointed panellists, Kevin Winter, said they have met only on two occasions to consider the proposal.
“My understanding is that the City is taking a cautious approach and is seeking advice from a range of local and international experts from fields including technology, sciences, engineering and social perspectives.
“The City intends to make an informed decision on the technical merits of the project in a year’s time. The project may or may not see the light of day,” he said.
Anna Borcher, secretary for the Cape Town City Bowl Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association, looks forward to the project.
“We appreciate the amount of information that the City government has been sharing with residents about their plans for making our city resilient and water-sensitive.”