Cape Town to build major desalination plant

Faced with erratic rainfall and a rising population, Cape Town has set plans in motion for a permanent desalination plant, a cornerstone of its New Water Programme. By 2030, the desalination plant is expected to generate between 50 and 70 million litres of water per day, as part of the city’s goal to secure an additional 300 million litres per day from sources including water reuse, groundwater, and the clearing of alien invasive vegetation.

South Africa, the world’s 30th driest country, faces significant challenges in managing its water resources, and the Cape is far drier than the eastern parts of the country. With a semiarid climate, the country experiences high variability in rainfall and an uneven distribution of water—43% of rainfall falls on just 13% of the land. Even in years with average rainfall, certain regions face severe water stress.

Recent droughts and extreme weather have worsened this situation, but water infrastructure, management, and wasteful usage also contribute to the problem. The Cape regions, particularly the Western Cape, have been hit hardest. Cape Town narrowly avoided “Day Zero”—the point at which water taps would run dry—thanks to swift municipal interventions. These included promoting responsible water use and launching emergency water supply projects.

One notable initiative is the city’s desalination plant at the V&A Waterfront.

Fortunately, the record drought which threatened the water security of the region has since abated for several years, with rainfall now reaching well above recorded averages. But the natural fluctuations of the climate could well yield much drier years again, and with mass migration from the economically moribund Eastern Cape and the rest of Africa, the Cape is coming under increasing pressure anyway, and will have to expand its capacity considerably.

Half the population lives in Cape Town, which draws in much of its water from raibfall in outlying regions:

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To ensure informed decision-making, the city convened an Independent Advisory Panel (IAP) comprising 12 experts in desalination, including scientists, engineers, and public health professionals. This panel has been guiding the development of the city’s first permanent seawater desalination plant. In parallel, the National Treasury’s Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) appointed a Transaction Advisor to assess the best approach for delivering the project.

A comparative evaluation of potential locations was conducted, with the findings presented to the city council in March 2024. Following this, the council approved further feasibility studies to refine plans for the desalination plant and the Faure New Water Scheme (FNWS). These studies will consider various operational models, including the possibility of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), while conducting due diligence and assessing the value of each option.

The city has already signalled its intention to explore external mechanisms for implementing a permanent Sea Water Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant at Paarden Eiland and a water reuse scheme at Faure. Public consultations have been opened as part of the environmental impact assessment process, inviting the community to engage with the plans.

The IAP’s evaluation of the technical, socio-economic, and regulatory aspects of the project underscores its long-term benefits. The city plans to maintain this expert oversight by extending its collaboration with the Water Research Commission into a second phase, ensuring continuity in the development of its water security initiatives.

Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation expresed his confidence that “Cape Town will establish quality technologies in water treatment from diverse sources, which meet safety, technical and regulatory standards,”

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