WSDP: MODULE 3 TOPIC 3: SERVICE LEVELS
3. SERVICE LEVELS
3.1. Residential Consumer Units
With respect to Domestic consumers, the latest February 2011 City estimate of 1 103 182 households included 193 951 in informal settlements, while the remainder of 909 231 in the formal sector included at least 115 248 backyard dwellers. 93% of households had access to basic sanitation services at January 2012.
3.1.1. Residential consumer units for water
Service levels of existing formal developed and informal areas (excluding rural areas) generally meet the minimum standards as required by the Water Services Act 108 of 1997.
Formal households have either a metered water connection to the house or to a yard toilet with water tap (uncontrolled volume supply). The first 6 kilolitres per month are supplied at no charge (free basic). Informal areas have communal standpipes and water is provided free.
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3.1.2. Residential consumer units for sanitation
The general percentage distribution of households with less than the targeted improved level of service correlates to a large extent with the location of informal settlements as determined through aerial.
Table 1: Profile of sanitation services to consumers
TOILET TYPE
Chemical
Container
Bucket
Portable Flush Toilet
Pitliner
Dry Sanitation
COUNT
4 716
5 481
1 108
12 104
312
187
Conservancy tanks
Dehydration – Type 1
Dehydration – Type 2
Anaerobic
370
165
450
48
Flush 9 284
Formal -
TOTAL
34 225
Source: Water and Sanitation Services (informal Settlements – as at June 2012)
HH SERVICED
23 580
27 405
1 108
12 104
1 560
935
1 850
660
450
96
46 420
909 231
1 025 399
3.1.2.1. Grey water management
A joint project with the CSIR is being undertaken.
3.1.2.2. Pit emptying and sludge disposal
Pit emptying is not applicable, while the disposal of container toilets is taken into the waste stream.
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3.1.2.3. Types of sanitation technology options
Sanitation technology options in formal households:

In almost all cases this would be water borne house connections

In low cost housing RDP housing there would either be an internal or external toilet with a water borne sewer connection

The backyarder policy calls for an additional formal sewer connection, if implemented at scale there is expectation that there would be significant additional load on the existing reticulated infrastructure.

In isolated areas there are cases were conservancy tanks are still in use
Sanitation technology options in informal settlements, in most settlements the standard is 1 toilet per five households.
While it is generally accepted that farm dwellers are provided with water and sanitation this has not been quantified.
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3.1.3. Strategic gap analysis (residential consumer units)
Domestic Cluster
0.7%
Backyarders
13.3%
Informal HH
21.8%
Domestic Cluster
Domestic single residential
Departmental Cluster
Informal HH
Backyarders
Departmental
Cluster
0.3%
Domestic single residential
63.9%
Figure 1: Breakdown of residential consumer units as at June 2012
This break down in residential consumers emphasises the need to focus on improved water and sanitation services onto informal household consumers and backyarders. In total they make up 35% of residential customer base. The continued rapid increase in informality could lead to large number of City households being pushed into accepting lower levels of service.
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3.1.3.1. Implementation strategies (Informal Settlements)
To achieve sanitation improved service and service the increased number of households in informal settlements, the Water and Sanitation Department is implementing a service provision program that is integrally tied to the 10-year Housing Plan.
The total capital requirement over the next 5 years from 2012/13 to 2016/17 to primarily cover sanitation service provision is estimated at R247 million including allowance for a
5% household growth. Part of the funding is also required for the replacement of the remaining black buckets.
R9.0 million is required to achieve the targeted improved water service level and provide for the anticipated growth in demand.
The proposed programme for achieving the Strategic Objective target of 2016/17 is aimed at an improved level of service with a minimum ratio of 1 tap to 25 households with the tap being within 200m of any households
Ideally water and sanitation would like to achieve improved service levels within five years. However due to various challenges, Water and Sanitation are currently only able to deliver approximately 3 100 sanitation units per annum, some of which can service more than a single household depending on the type installed. This should be compared to the latest census of 2011 indicating an informal settlements household average growth of 3 371 households per annum.
The challenge to delivery in these areas is amplified by;

lack of space and the extreme densities of settlements

resistance from the community

grey-water ponding problems

settlements located on private land, closed landfill sites or other unsuitable land

the level of community acceptance of non-waterborne sanitation.
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Issue
Does the Community accept the services delivered by the City of Cape Town?
Continuous influx
Relationship with the Informal Settlement
Vandalism of Infrastructure
Strategy and target
Consult Informal Settlement Communities on the way forward
Determine the Community’s needs
Establish forums between CoCT and
Informal Settlements
Create formal working partnerships within 70
Informal Settlements by June 2013 and progressively increase this number by 10 every year
Change mind-sets and establish Champions within the Communities
Establish a vicarious partnership in which
Communities feel a sense of Ownership
Formal agreements between communities
& the City of Cape Town
EPWP Workers to be paid on time
Close the Gap between the Informal
Community and the CoCT
Non Payment of Services rendered
WW Network analyses to determine the available capacity (Backyard Dwellers)
67 Permanent staff employed to sustain outputs and regular maintenance of
Infrastructure
Develop a Strategy to introduce a minimum charge/flat fee for services rendered, or a pre-paid system
Have an Agreement with each backyard dweller
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3.2. Wet industries
All ‘wet’ industries have on site connections.
Issue
No gaps in the sector
Strategy and target
The Water and Sanitation Services Department will be able to cope with the demand for new services for this sector.
Maintain the current high level of service
Expansion of the sector and tracking the business operations. sector
New services are provided as part of normal
Database of all ‘wet’ industries required for water conservation and demand management purposes.
Identify top water consumers and identify which are ‘wet’ industries. The Water Conservation and
Demand Management Strategy targets high water consumers.
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3.3. ‘Raw’ water consumers
Situation assessment (‘raw’ water consumers)
The City has very few ‘raw’ water consumers. These are mainly farmers on the raw water pipelines that feed Faure and Blackheath Water Treatment Plants. They are therefore not the City’s consumers, but they share the same infrastructure. Since they are outside the
Cape Municipal area there is no obligation on the City as Water Service Authority to provide them with water – potable or otherwise.
On the Wemmershoek 1,100 mm diameter raw water pipeline from Theewaterskloof there is at least one consumer that receives raw water from the line. This consumer is a
Wemmershoek riparian who opted to draw water from the raw water pipeline rather than the riparian pipe network.
Apart from the Wemmershoek riparian obligations, COCT have no other potable water obligations to the farmers in other local authority areas.
It is not anticipated that there will be many future raw water consumers. There is however a need to monitor the usage, the is also an important need to include the raw water infrastructure in the water loss calculation
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3.4. Industrial consumer units
3.4.1. Implementation strategies (industrial consumer units)
There is need to establish a more regulated environment for industrial consumers producers of industrial effluent and to enforce current and additional legislation.
Issue Strategy and target
New tariffs have been proposed to Council for the next financial year which if
New tariff structure is approved will tackle the status quo. proposed Research is being conducted in terms of a suitable database and telemetry system for WPC’s function and to improve accuracy of measurement.
Review current bylaw
The current bylaw is in the process of being repealed, some of the amendments include grease traps regulation and more powers to officials. The potential for increased discharge of fat, oil and grease from the food and catering industry expansion is being monitored as and when building plans are submitted to the City and forwarded to the Water Pollution Control (WPC) unit. Existing premises are being inspected for adequate grease trap facilities. The Environmental health Department is being brought on board regarding the issuing of their trade licenses, to alert the WPC unit for any potential generation of industrial effluent.
Inter-
Department
Networking
The current bylaw is in the process of being repealed, some of the amendments include grease traps regulation and more powers to officials. The potential for increased discharge of fat, oil and grease from the food and catering industry expansion is being monitored as and when building plans are submitted to the City and forwarded to the Water Pollution Control (WPC) unit. Existing premises are being inspected for adequate grease trap facilities. The Environmental health Department is being brought on board regarding the issuing of their trade licenses, to alert the WPC unit for any potential generation of industrial effluent.
Liaison with Planning and Development is on-going in terms of them sending monthly approvals of all industrial / commercial plans to the WPC unit.
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More inspectors will be deployed and All industries are currently in the process of
Enforcement being re-issued with new permits that they must sign for to show commitment to the conditions imposed and hence be liable for any breach of the contract/permit.
Furthermore, planned inspections of the top water users in industrial areas serve to assist in the reduction of water consumption, consequently reducing the volume of effluent discharged. Waste minimisation, cleaner production and best available technology and practices are continuously promoted to all commercial and industrial units during inspections. Water pollution Control also working jointly with the DEADP on Chemical management and Waste minimisation.
Targeting bigger polluters
There is prioritised monitoring of the top polluters for each of the respective parameters of concern, namely: Chemical Oxygen Demand, Dissolved Solids
(Conductivity), pH, Metals, Chlorides, Sulphates and Cyanides. Emphasis has been put on pH and metals.
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