Cape Town: Sanitation Status
Sanitation provision in Cape Town (South Africa’s second-largest city) is good by comparison with most cities in sub-Saharan Africa, in line with South Africa’s relatively high per-capita GNP: most people have access to a hygienic toilet, and most sewage is treated before discharge to the environment in a controlled manner. However, a disadvantaged minority of the city’s population (about 6%) still lacks adequate sanitation; these are mostly black Africans living in low-income townships and informal settlements. This article briefly summarizes the current sanitation situation in Cape Town.
This page is part of the fully editable open-access reference source on the sanitation status of all major cities in sub-Saharan Africa. The resource considers the 40 urban agglomerations in sub-Saharan Africa with a current population of 1 million or more. To read some of the other 40 country profiles, go back tothe resource Homepage.
N.B These pages should be considered as incomplete provisional drafts, and contributions are actively requested from specialists with expert local knowledge of each specific city
Table of Content
- Background information
- Water resources and supply: overview
- Sanitation access
- Sewerage system
- Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
- Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
- Sanitation in low-income districts
- Responsibility
- Sanitation masterplan?
- Sanitation financing
- Major investments and donor interventions
- Sources and further reading
- References
- Other City Profiles
Background information
Cape Town is an urban agglomeration with a population of about 3.7 million people (Brinkhoff 2010). It is a coastal city with steep slopes in some districts. Climate is Mediterranean (Köppen classification Csb). Flooding is a significant problem in many informal settlements (Mail & Guardian, 2009). Pollutant industrial activities include food processing, oil refining, chemicals, plastics and cement manufacture. There is significant agricultural activity within the metropolitan area (RUAF 2007). A significant minority of the population lives in low-income townships, including informal settlements.
Water resources and supply: overview
Most of Cape Town’s water comes from dammed rivers, notably the Kleinplaas Dam on the Eerste River; less than 10% of supply comes from groundwater; see AOC (2008). According to the 2007 national census (SSA 2007), about 91% of households have in-plot piped water, 8% piped water from a public standpipe, while 1% have no access to piped water.
Sanitation access
According to the 2007 national census (SSA 2007), about 91% of households have flush toilets connected to sewerage, about 2% have flush toilets connected a septic tank, while the remaining 7% have use a bucket toilet system, or have some sort of latrine, or have no toilet. About 6% of household are judged to have inadequate sanitation on the JMP definition. Sewered public toilets are provided by the government in informal settlements. Open defecation is uncommon. See also detailed information in the Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13 (AOC 2008).
Sewerage system
Cape Town has an extensive sewerage system covering most of the metropolitan area; about 91% of households are connected (SSA 2007); see the Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13 (AOC 2008).
Septage management (septage = nightsoil and/or sludge from onsite facilities)
The Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13 (AOC 2008) states that “as there are no VIPs in the city, this is not required”. This statement does not fully accord with the census data (SSA 2007), which indicates that a small proportion of households remain dependent on onsite sanitation.
Sewage treatment (sewage = sewered wastes and/or septage)
Cape Town has a total of 22 wastewater treatment plants (21 municipal, 1 private); quality standards are judged to be acceptable. Detailed information is given in the Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13 (AOC 2008).
Sanitation in low-income districts
The Cape Town Environmental Health Annual Report for 2005 (City of Cape Town 2005) states that “Informal settlements are serviced by communal toilets of varying technological specifications, primarily at a rate below the minimum level of one latrine facility per household. The City is still addressing the provision of sanitation in informal settlements via a Servicing of Informal Settlements Project. An incremental approach has been adopted whereby the City strives to move from the provision of an emergency level of service to temporary, rudimentary and eventually full levels of service”. For maps showing locations of informal settlements, see Figs. F.2.1.1.2a and 2b of the Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13 (AOC 2008).
Responsibility
Primary responsibility for sanitation lies with Water and Sanitation Directorate of City of Cape Town Municipality, which assumes responsibility for both sewerage and onsite sanitation.
Sanitation masterplan?
Yes: the Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13 (AOC 2008), as required under the national Water Services Act (1997). Note also the Water Services Vision (2005), which aimed “to ensure access to basic sanitation services to at least 70% of all informal settlements by 2010,” with “a fair tariff that ensures all residents have access to basic water and sanitation, including indigent households”.
Sanitation financing
The sewerage service is provided free of charge up to the first 4200 litres of sewerage (?per year); households with property value < 199,000 rands [about US$ 28,000] have a subsidy credit of 30 rands [about US$ 4] applied to their monthly water and sanitation bill. There is no charge for the use of public toilets provided in informal settlements.
Major investments and donor interventions
South Africa, classified by the World Bank as an upper middle income country, receives relatively little funding from international donors.
Sources and further reading
Extensive and very detailed information is given in the Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Water/WaterservicesDevPlan/Documents/WSDP%2018%20April%2008.pdf
City of Cape Town Water and Sanitation Page: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/water/Pages/default.aspx
City of Cape Town Sanitation and Housing Page (Environmental Health Dept.): http://www.capetown.gov.za/EN/CITYHEALTH/ENVIROHEALTH/Pages/SanitationandHousing.aspx
Green Drop Report - http://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/2010/06/15/world-cup-unaffordable-extravagance-proper-sewerage-vs-state-of-the-art-stadiums/
References
AOC [Amanzi Obom Consulting] (2008) Water Services Development Plan for City of Cape Town 2008/09-2012/13: http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/Water/WaterservicesDevPlan/Documents/WSDP%2018%20April%2008.pdf
Brinkhoff T (2010) City Population. http://www.citypopulation.de
City of Cape Town (2005) Environmental Health Annual Report 2005. http://www.capetown.gov.za/en/CityHealth/Documents/Guidelines,%20Specifications/Environmental%20Health%20Annual%20Report%20-%202005%20-%20Cape%20Town%20Metro.pdf
Mail & Guardian (2009) “Mopping up continues in Cape Town after floods”. News report, 14 Jul 2009. http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-07-14-mopping-up-continues-in-cape-town-after-floods
RUAF (2007) Cape Town. Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture & Food Security. http://www.ruaf.org/node/1135
SSA [Statistics South Africa] (2007) Community Survey 2007 - Household Services data. http://www.statssa.gov.za/
Other City Profiles
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7) BRAZZAVILLE (Republic of Congo) 3
12) DAR ES SALAAM (Tanzania) 3
14) DURBAN THEKWINI (South Africa) 3
18) JOHANNESBURG-EKURHULENI (South Africa) 3
23) KINSHASA (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
27) LUBUMBASHI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
31) MBUJI-MAYI (Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC) 3
35) OUGADOUGOU (Burkina Faso) 3
36) PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa) 3
