Faure Water Treatment Plant: Additional pipelines from Faure to Zandvliet and a sewer-tie-in

In 2017 Cape Town was declared a disaster area after the worst drought in recorded history, following its driest three consecutive years, necessitating the implementation of severe water restrictions. The City of Cape Town (CCT) has learnt from this drought, and from the models of leading climate scientists that reliance on storage of surface water (rainwater runoff) in dams is no longer a wise way to a secure water supply.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) issued the CCT with a Directive on 30 May 2017, in terms of Section 30A of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) Regulations, 2014 (as amended), to address the emergency that arose due to severe drought conditions and ensure adequate water supply within the jurisdiction of the CCT. This was supported by the (then) National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) [now Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)], who issued a Section 30A Directive on 12 April 2018.

The DFFE later also issued a verbal directive on 19 June 2020, in terms of section 30A of the NEMA, read with National Disaster Declaration of 4 March 2020, in terms of section 27(1) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, regarding the drought affecting various provinces. This to allow the municipality to carry out listed activities (in terms of the NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, 2014 (as amended)) that relate to the implementation of measures or interventions to address water supply shortage within an emergency situation in the areas within the jurisdiction of the CCT. The projects to be included under the ambit of the directive were presented in a Water Supply Intervention Plan (WSIP) which was approved by DEA&DP on 23 October 2017 and included the Faure NWS.

The Directives authorised the CCT to commence with NEMA Listed Activities, for water augmentation projects (e.g., sea water desalinisation, water re-use, and ground water abstraction) under the New Water Programme, without he need to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. In addition, a local state of disaster was declared by the CCT in March 2017. This local state of disaster was extended monthly up until the end of September 2019 by notice in the Provincial Gazette.



The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP) issued the CCT with a Directive on 30 May 2017, in terms of Section 30A of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) Regulations, 2014 (as amended), to address the emergency that arose due to severe drought conditions and ensure adequate water supply within the jurisdiction of the CCT. This was supported by the (then) National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) [now Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)], who issued a Section 30A Directive on 12 April 2018.

The DFFE later also issued a verbal directive on 19 June 2020, in terms of section 30A of the NEMA, read with National Disaster Declaration of 4 March 2020, in terms of section 27(1) of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, regarding the drought affecting various provinces. This to allow the municipality to carry out listed activities (in terms of the NEMA Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations, 2014 (as amended)) that relate to the implementation of measures or interventions to address water supply shortage within an emergency situation in the areas within the jurisdiction of the CCT. The projects to be included under the ambit of the directive were presented in a Water Supply Intervention Plan (WSIP) which was approved by DEA&DP on 23 October 2017 and included the Faure NWS.

The Directives authorised the CCT to commence with NEMA Listed Activities, for water augmentation projects (e.g., sea water desalinisation, water re-use, and ground water abstraction) under the New Water Programme, without he need to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. In addition, a local state of disaster was declared by the CCT in March 2017. This local state of disaster was extended monthly up until the end of September 2019 by notice in the Provincial Gazette.