Cape Town - Ahead of its City has called on the public to submit innovative ideas to help address sanitation challenges affecting the water quality of its rivers, vleis, waterways and wetlands.
The call for public co-operation comes ahead of its first Water and Sanitation Innovation Indaba, on from March 22-23.
The City is also looking to hear from innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, residents and businesses to help solve challenges affecting its inland ambient water quality, which has been subject to various forms of pollution, misuse and mismanagement.
Those interested in submitting ideas can do so on the City’s online collaboration platform or via email to [email protected] for a hard copy of the form. The deadline for submissions is March 8.
The waterway challenges relate to pumping wastewater through the network of pipes, wastewater treatment, theft, vandalism and sources of pollution.
The City had received 18 submissions which prompted this call for more stakeholders to be a part of the initiative.
Water and sanitation Mayco member Siseko Mbandezi said the goal of the indaba was to connect interested parties with relevant City officials and learn how they could work together to benefit communities and waterways.
“All of us – the City and the public included –have a role to play in tackling water pollution and improving our inland water quality. It’s on this premise that we are encouraging organisations who want to be part of the conversation and have innovative sanitation-related ideas to see what the upcoming Innovation indaba is all about and how they can be a part of it. The City is serious about tackling water pollution, ” Mbandezi said.
Those interested in submitting ideas could do so on the City’s online collaboration platform or via email to [email protected] for a hard copy of the form.
Community activist Caroline Marx, who founded civic group Rethink The Stink, said: “The opportunity for community input is welcomed as people living locally often have a different insights but it will only be effective if the City actually listens. It also gives organisations the opportunity to present solutions the City may not have previously considered.”
Marx said the group would be submitting a number of suggestions including the necessity of installing effective litter traps at key points, and that an effective awareness campaign about minimising the use of harsh cleaning chemicals and disinfectants was also needed.
Sandra Dickson, founder of non-political activist group Stop COCT, said it was common knowledge that the City was a reluctant "partner" to any public input, however, this initiative was a vehicle to involve members of the public whom have been complaining for years, especially as it took many years for the City to even acknowledge that the pollution of waterways was a pressing problem.
Dickson added that some of Stop COCT members were intrinsically involved with identifying and bringing this problem to light and they would like to see a number of outcomes come from this indaba.
This included results in the form of tangible statistics of how the money already spent on the sewage plants were put to measurable good use and reduced pollution, as well as credible and fully budgeted for plans for solid waste and sewage removal at all settlements around waterways.
