Residents and stakeholders are invited to attend an Open Day at the Macassar New Civic Centre on Thursday, 27 November 2025, where the City of Cape Town will share details about the proposed R1.3 billion upgrade of the Macassar Wastewater Treatment Works. The project will introduce modern, energy-efficient infrastructure and more than double the plant’s capacity from 34 million litres per day to 80 million litres per day to accommodate population growth over the next two decades.
The Open Day will take place from 16:00 to 19:00 at the Macassar New Civic Centre in Burg Street. Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, encouraged residents to attend to learn more about the project and potential job opportunities that may arise for the local community as part of this major investment.
The upgrade will be carried out in two phases, covering both civil and mechanical or electrical components. The current phase focuses on upgrading existing treatment processes to improve performance, enhance effluent quality, and ensure compliance with environmental standards. Civil construction is expected to begin in January 2026 after the appointment of a contractor.
The project aims to resolve current capacity challenges, reduce energy use, improve operational efficiency, support long-term maintenance, and enhance the inland water quality of the Eerste River.
Key aspects of the upgrade include new inlet works for improved screening and grit removal, flow balancing, primary sedimentation to reduce nutrient loads, new biological reactors, secondary settling tanks, ultraviolet and chlorine disinfection, refurbishment of maturation ponds, sludge treatment improvements, anaerobic digesters, combined heat and power systems, dewatering facilities, storage silos, blower systems, new pump stations, filtration rooms, and associated pipework and civil engineering services.
