The City of Cape Town’s Roads and Stormwater Department is fully prepared for a busy winter season, with its planning and extensive preparations already having been put to the test.
“The City is geared to deal with any major emergency or crisis events which require a multi-disciplinary reaction by specialised disaster response teams to safeguard the general public, property, environment and livelihoods,” says the City’s Mayoral Committee Member: Transport for Cape Town, Councillor Brett Herron.
In line with the City’s Winter Plan for the 2013 season, the department activated its standby crews to assist staff in attending to many flooded roads and drains when a series of cold fronts moved over the peninsula at the beginning of the month.
“Sporadic flooding occurred in all areas and blockages were mainly due to capacity constraints as a result of the intensity of the storm. As soon as the appropriate Roads and Stormwater standby crews were notified, all blockages were attended to immediately,” says Henry du Plessis, Director: Roads and Stormwater.
He added that informal settlements pose the biggest challenge for the department, as they are mostly in high water table areas and have poor drainage, meaning they are prone to flooding. The nine high-risk areas include informal settlements in Fisantekraal, Philippi, Gugulethu and Strand.
The department embarks on an annual Proactive and Reactive Maintenance Programme in order to expedite flood preparedness and lessen the damage caused by winter storms. It focuses mostly on the proactive cleaning and maintenance of stormwater and river systems in order to ensure a reasonable level of cleanliness and functionality, and includes both maintenance undertaken via the Annual Contracted Services, and reactive maintenance by depot staff.
The budget for this proactive maintenance totals approximately R72 million, while reactive maintenance totals in the region of R95 million.
All stormwater retention ponds are inspected regularly, with debris removed from outlet structures. Intakes of mountain streams are also inspected.
The Kader Asmal River Cleaning Project, which is managed by the City’s Environmental Resource Management Department, assists with the removal of invader aquatic and terrestrial plants along key river corridors such as the Black River system, while approximately 480 additional staff have been employed through the Mayor’s Special Job Creation Programme to assist in the cleaning of critical stormwater infrastructure in high flood risk areas.
The Roads and Stormwater Department is responsible for 7 500 km of pipes and culverts (underground conduits); 180 000 catchpits; 85 000 manholes; 850 stormwater ponds and 1 200 km of maintained rivers, canals and open channels. The City has appealed to residents not to dispose of waste into these drains or stormwater systems as this causes blockages which leads to flooding.
“Planning for this winter season started in 2012. It followed a structured approach and included lessons learned in dealing with challenges last winter. Mitigation measures are already in place to prepare for any potential storm damage relating to the change in weather, such as flooding,” concludes Cllr Herron.
To report a blocked drain or flooding call 0860 103 089. Alternatively, call the Disaster Risk Management Centre at 080 911 4357.
