Cape Town faces several challenges affecting the water quality of rivers, vleis, waterways and wetlands. On 1 February 2023, the City of Cape Town called for innovative ideas and solutions to address these challenges, culminating in a showcase of some of the most innovative ideas at the Indaba.
The City hosted the Western Cape Water Indaba and Innovation Showcase in support of our aims to progressively deliver enhanced basic services and a healthy urban environment to improve the quality of life for Cape Town residents.
The City partnered with the Western Cape Government to put together the Showcase from 22 – 23 March 2023, where innovators of water technology could showcase their solutions. The partnership resulted in shared ideas, processes and innovations with sister municipalities and the provincial government, extending the reach of the City’s efforts.
Thereafter, all other innovators were invited to present their ideas from 27 – 28 March at the Cape Town City Hall. The innovations ranged from dry sanitation, low–flush technology, decentralised wastewater treatment plants, sludge digestion, drone technology for security and infrastructure monitoring, in-line sensors and bio-remediation, among others.
In total, 124 submissions were received, 80 submissions were reviewed and 34 innovators exhibited their solutions at the Century City Convention Centre. Innovators were given an opportunity to present their solutions to the New Technology Committee. These solutions are currently being reviewed and a feedback report for each innovator will be prepared to outline the way forward.
‘The quality of inland water bodies has been in long-term decline due to pollution caused by sewer spillages/overflows, land invasions into stormwater infrastructure and illegal discharge of sewage and waste from unregulated structures,’ said Councillor Zahid Badroodien, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
‘This event created an open and transparent platform for residents to engage with the City and have their ideas heard as the City strives to solve these challenges.
‘It is hoped that this initiative has demonstrated that the City is a caring City as it strives to achieve its goal to be a City of Hope. Residents who demonstrated technology through the Innovation Showcase also had an opportunity for exposure at a provincial level and all innovators who presented their ideas and solutions can be reassured that they have had a positive impact on the City’s leadership as it tries to improve inland water quality,’ said Badroodien.
