The City’s Urban Mobility Directorate in collaboration with the Water and Sanitation Directorate is busy replacing 100-year-old bulk water mains in the Philippi and Browns Farm areas with a brand-new bulk water main and reticulation main as part of the City’s infrastructure roll-out for the MyCiTi bus service in the metro-south east. The two new water mains will serve residents in a large part of Cape Town, and the reticulation main will secure water provision for at least the next 60 years and beyond to the communities of Philippi East, Philippi, Gugulethu, and other communities adjacent to Govan Mbeki Road.

The City is using the opportunity to replace the aged water services infrastructure along Govan Mbeki Road while major works are under way to upgrade this route for the MyCiTi bus service.

• The existing bulk water main is over a century old and is being replaced with a 4,6km new bulk water main. The bulk water main will serve the residents living in the southern peninsula
• The new reticulation mains that are being installed cover a section of 4,6km along both the northern and southern verge of Govan Mbeki Road between the intersections with NY72 and Klipfontein Road. The reticulation mains will serve the communities of Philippi, Philippi East, Gugulethu, and surrounding communities

‘The investment in the roll-out of the MyCiTi bus service to the metro-south east goes far beyond the delivery of buses. We are using every opportunity to replace, relocate, and repair existing underground services such as water and sewer mains, high voltage electricity cables, and stormwater infrastructure as part of this project. Most of these services are located under existing roads, and thus, it only makes sense to do the necessary repairs and replacements while we are working on the roads.

‘This investment in keeping Capetonians moving also ensures that the surrounding communities and all of Cape Town benefit from new services infrastructure that will last us another six to ten decades. In so doing, we are securing services provision to our growing population and strengthening our water infrastructure,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Councillor Rob Quintas.

Fast facts:

• The bulk water main is a 840mm diameter steel pipe and the reticulation pipeline is a 315mm diameter HDPE pipe
• Both the bulk water main and reticulation mains are currently being installed along Govan Mbeki Road between the intersections with Klipfontein Road and NY72 Road
• The first section of the pipe replacement, between NY72 Road and New Eisleben Road is to be completed by November 2026
• The second section of the pipe replacement is between the intersections with New Eisleben Road and Klipfontein Road and will be completed by November 2027
• The bulk water main is placed in trenches that are up to 3,5m deep and 5m wide
• The soil conditions, high water tables, and deep excavations make the installation work very difficult, and requires careful planning to minimise the risk of disruptions to existing services
• The reticulation mains are placed in trenches that are up to 1,2m deep

‘Once the water mains are fully installed, they become the property of the Water and Sanitation Directorate who will be responsible for the management and maintenance of these assets,’ said Councillor Quintas.

The second phase of the MyCiTi bus service will provide communities from the metro-south east with a scheduled, affordable, and dignified bus service to Wynberg and Claremont. If all goes as planned, the first buses will start operating in the latter half of 2027.