Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien, officially turned the first sod today, Thursday, 2 April, of the R4,7 billion upgrade of the Macassar Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW). The massive project will deliver modern, energy-efficient infrastructure to support the community’s growing needs.
This R4,7 billion total upgrade will more than double the Macassar Wastewater Treatment Work’s (WWTW) current treatment capacity – from 34 million litres per day (Ml/d) to 80 Ml/d – to service this growing part of the city over the next 20 years.
‘It was a pleasure to break ground on this multi-billion rand upgrade to bring better, more dignified sanitation services for thousands of households in Macassar and surrounding communities. This is especially exciting because it is the last of the mega projects that we set out to deliver in this term of office, and now it has got underway. We are committed to improving infrastructure across the city, especially for poorer communities, and we are doing exactly that.
‘This major upgrade will also provide thousands of jobs for the local Macassar community, will greatly improve the environmental health of the Eerste River and support long-term economic growth in the Helderberg area,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.
The project will achieve several objectives:
- Improve treated effluent quality
- Unlock future development and socio-economic benefits
- Promote the reuse of treated effluent for irrigation and other non-potable uses
- Generate renewable energy from biogas
- Promote better sanitation and a more dignified environment for nearby communities.
The project scope includes new inlet works, biological nutrient removal reactors, secondary settling tanks, UV and chlorine disinfection, sludge digestion and mechanical dewatering facilities, combined heat and power installation, and refurbishment of maturation ponds.
Two construction contracts have already started: Civil Works commenced in October 2025, while Mechanical and Electrical Works are currently in the design phase with installations set for mid-2027.
‘The City has shown a clear commitment to openness and managing risks early throughout the Macassar WWTW Upgrade project. In November 2025, the City’s project team hosted a dedicated Community Open Day. This comprehensive public information session was designed to encourage meaningful engagement, address stakeholder concerns early, and foster a collaborative, inclusive, and safe working environment, in line with best-practice principles of good governance and enterprise risk management,’ said Councillor Badroodien.
Caption 1: (From left to right) Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien; Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis; Ward Councillor Peteter Helfrich and Executive Director for Water and Sanitation, Leonardo Manus, turning the first sod for the major R4,7 billion upgrade of the Macassar Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW).
