Potsdam Watersuiweringswerke opgradering op skedule
Die R5,2 miljard opgradering van die Potsdam watersuiweringsaanleg in Milnerton, Kaapstad, verloop volgens skedule met sigbare vordering op die terrein.
Met die opgradering sal die kapasiteit van die aanleg aansienlik verhoog word en die gehalte van die afvoerwater ook grootliks verbeter word.
Hierdie grootskaalse opgradering waarby twee konstruksie kontrakte betrokke is, een vir die sivielewerk en die ander vir die daarstelling van die meganiese- en elektriese-infrastruktuur, is 20 maande gelede van stapel gestuur.
Die projek is een van Kaapstad se grootste infrastruktuur projekte en die voltooide aanleg se kapasiteit sal met voltooiing vanaf die huidige 47 miljoen liter per dag tot 100 miljoen liter per dag opgestoot word.
Volgens die mediavrystelling van die Groter Kaapstad munisipaliteit is die eerste fase van die projek, naamlik die konstruksie van die ultrafiltreeringsfasiliteit wat gevorderde filtreerprosesse soos mikroskerm ultrafiltrasieskerms en ultraviolet-ontsmetting behels, nou afgehandel.
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Die werk sluit ook ʼn afvoerwaterpompstasies in vir gesuiwerde water wat die stad se vermoë verbeter in terme van watervoorsiening.
Die siviele gedeelte van die membraanbioreaktorfasiliteit se inlaat en die rourioolpompstasie tans onder konstruksie, beslaan die grootste gedeelte van die opgraderingsprojek vir verhoogde kapasiteit.
So ook is die siviele werk aan die ontwateringsaanleg afgehandel en is reeds aan die kontrakteur verantwoordelik vir die installering van die meganiese- en elektriese toerusting oorhandig. Volgens beplanning sal die ontwatering- en ultrafiltreringinstallasies teen middel 2025 in werking gestel word met die finale opgradering wat teen die laaste kwartaal in 2027 voltooi sal wees.
Kaapstad is voltyds betrokke om die omgewingsgesondheids van Dieprivier en die Milnertonlagoon op verskeie maniere te herstel.
Die baie belangrike infrastruktuur opgraderings binne die Potsdam Watersuiweringsaanleg area is instrumentaal in hierdie proses en daar word met groot verwagting uitgesien na die vordering hiervan oor die volgende aantal maande.
VIDEO
CITY OF CAPE TOWN – 11 NOVEMBER 2024 – MEDIA RELEASE
R5,2 bn Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works upgrade on track
Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien recently took an oversight visit to check progress on the R5,2 billion upgrade of the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works in Milnerton. Joined by the Section 79 Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee, and the Section 80 Mayoral Advisory Committee for Inland Water Quality, upgrades to one of the Western Cape’s largest infrastructure projects is well on track. Construction, which started in April 2023, is expected to be completed by 2027. Read more below:
Now, 20 months into the large-scale upgrade of Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW), significant progress has been made towards ensuring that this essential facility increases in capacity and improves the quality of treated effluent processed.
About this state-of-the art upgrade:
· The upgrade is being done through two construction contracts: one for civil infrastructure and another for providing mechanical and electrical infrastructure.
· This is one of the city’s largest infrastructure projects, designed to expand the plant’s capacity from 47 million litres to 100 million litres per day.
· Cutting-edge membrane technology will be progressively added to ensure high wastewater treatment and treated effluent standards.
Progress to date:
· The civil construction of the ultrafiltration plant has been completed. This plant will encompass advanced treatment processes, such as micro-screening, ultrafiltration membranes and ultraviolet disinfection. Also included is a treated effluent reuse pump station that will assist the city in becoming more water resilient. A contractor is currently working on the installation of mechanical and electrical equipment.
· Construction of the process control facility is under way. This will be the operational node for the plant consisting of a new control room, with a state-of-the-art system to monitor the plant’s operations in real time. The area will also be the administration block where the operations management team will be based.
· The civil portion of the membrane bioreactor facility, inlet works and raw sewage pump station is under construction. This is the largest part of the upgrade project and will increase the treatment capacity of the Potsdam WWTW to 100 million litres per day.
· Civil construction of the dewatering plant has been completed and has been handed over to the mechanical and electrical contractor for equipment installation. This includes eight new primary sludge belt presses and eight new secondary sludge belt presses for de-watering of the respective sludges. This facility will greatly assist the plant in maintaining a consistent sludge age (i.e. ‘good bacteria’ levels), ensuring improved treated effluent quality.
The dewatering and ultrafiltration installations are likely to be commissioned around mid-2025. This is anticipated to have a positive impact on existing operations, assisting to realise early improved treated effluent quality at the WWTW.
The City aims to finalise the upgrade in the last quarter of 2027, with operational trials starting in 2026.
‘The extraordinary strides made in the last few months on construction at Potsdam is visibly impressive. To see the planning, coordination and professional skills being applied to make the vision for an improved capacity and quality Potsdam fast becoming a reality is exciting; as it will all ultimately benefit our growing city and the environment for years to come.
‘The City is steadily working towards restoring the environmental health of the Diep River and the Milnerton Lagoon through a combination of efforts. These major infrastructure upgrades within the area at Potsdam WWTW are instrumental and we are looking forward to seeing more progress on site over the coming months,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
Caption 1: Work on the Potsdam WWTW upgrade is progressing well.
Caption 2: The construction of the Potsdam WWTW new inlet works. Zikhona Batatu-Sifuna, technician (third from right); Kabelo Lefipha, Senior Superintendent (second from right) and Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation (far right).
Caption 3: City staff with the Section 79 Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee and the Section 80 Mayoral Advisory Committee for Inland Water Quality on a site visit at the Potsdam WWTW.
Caption 4 (Dropbox): At the ultrafiltration micro-screen building at the Potsdam WWTW, the micro-screens are in the process of being installed. From left: Samuel Damonse, Potsdam Plant Manager; Alderman Ian Neilson, Chairman of the Water and Sanitation Portfolio Committee; Sameeh Johaadien, Project Manager; Leonardo Manus, Executive Director for the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate and Councillor Zahid Badroodien, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.