City of Cape Town bags another award

The City of Cape Town has been recognised for its excellent work in water conservation and water demand management (WC/WDM) at the 'Water Conservation and Water Demand Sector Awards' during National Water Week 2008, hosted by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). The City won the domestic category of the Awards.

The Awards were launched by DWAF as one of the ways to encourage all sectors to share water resources in an equitable and sustainable manner in support of national imperatives for socio-economic growth and development. The objectives of the WC/WDM sector awards are:

• To promote WC/WDM through recognising the efforts and successes of water use sectors, institutions, commercial and public entities, as well as individuals in water conservation and water demand management
• To drive measurable improvement in WC/WDM by participants in the WC/WDM sector awards
• To promote public awareness of the role and function of DWAF and institute a platform for sharing the department’s key water conservation messages

The criteria for the judging was based upon the following key deliverables:

• Measurable impact/reduction in wastage
• Innovation
• Benefit to the people on the ground
• Sustainability
• Economic benefits for the organisation/community
• Capacity building

The City’s nomination was not restricted to a single project; the nomination was based upon the holistic and integrated way in which projects are undertaken by the Water Demand Management and Strategy department and includes:

• Integrated water leaks programme (including installation of water management device)
• Fix-it Leaks programme
• Pressure Management
• Treated Effluent
• Schools Programme (incl. schools awareness, caretaker training, leak fixing, pressure reduction valves)
• By-laws campaign, Hlonipha Amanzi and Water week

Zolile Basholo, Manager of Water Demand Management & Strategy, who received the Award on behalf of the City, thanked the residents of the City of Cape Town for their co-operation with its projects and for being responsible by doing their bit to conserve water resources. He also thanked DWAF’s regional office team for their continued support with Masibambane funding and the National Treasury for the Restructuring Grant. This extra funding will help keep the City on track with its Water Conservation and Demand Management Strategy.

The water situation in Cape Town is such that the system will need to be augmented in 2013 should the residents of Cape Town not all use water more responsibly. The purpose therefore of the City's Water Conservation & Water Demand Management Strategy is to provide a long-term balance between available water resources and demand for these resources, to minimise water losses from the system and to postpone the need for expensive capital infrastructure projects for as long as economically viable. 

Being a recipient of this Award demonstrates recognition for the work carried out on a daily basis not only by the Water Demand Management team, but also by other departments in the City they are working closely with (informal settlements, reticulation, bulk water, revenue, finance, procurement, environmental resource management) and other stakeholders, who collectively, help them achieve their goals.

For more information on Water Demand Management in the City of Cape Town, contact Donnavin Wright on +27 21 590 1417 or email donnavin.wright@capetown.gov.za