In 2000, the water supplied to Khayelitsha was almost 22 million m³/a. The level of leakage was estimated from the night-time water use to be almost three-quarters of the water supplied to the area. The Minimum Night Flow (MNF) was measured to be in excess of 1,600 m³/hr.
The main source of the leakage was identified as the household plumbing fittings which have been badly damaged through constant exposure to a relatively high pressure of 80m. Such leakage results in very high water consumption in most properties and high levels of non-payment since the customers could not afford to pay for new taps and toilet fittings, let alone the high water bills. WRP - a Miya Group Company - initiated the Khayelitsha Pressure Management Project to improve the level of service to the Khayelitsha community by reducing the excessive water pressure and pressure fluctuations in the reticulation system.

Benefits to the Municipality - Water, Wastewater and Energy Savings

• Following the construction and commissioning of the pressure management installation, the average daily flow was reduced from 2 500 m³/hr to 1500 m³/hr representing an annual saving of 9 million m³/yr or approximately 40% of the original water use. The Minimum Night Flow was reduced from 1 600 m³/hr to 750 m³/hr.
• The project currently saves in excess of 9 million m³/year representing a financial saving of approximately $4 million per year. The project cost approximately $1 million to construct in 2001 and produced a pay-back of less than 3 months to the City of Cape Town.

Expanding the Lifespan of the Network

• After two years of operation, the Khayelitsha pressure management installation continues to deliver the goods in the form of massive water savings. The savings have been maintained at the original commissioning levels and there has been no visible deterioration in the performance of the installations.

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