ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS TO OVERSTRAND’S WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
Monday, 21 September 2026
Overstrand Municipality continues to invest in and maintain essential water and sanitation infrastructure to ensure reliable services for residents and to support the needs of growing communities. These ongoing projects focus on improving the capacity, resilience and efficiency of the water and sanitation systems, while also protecting the environment and maintaining water quality across the region.
ONRUS MAIN SEWERAGE PUMP STATION UPGRADE UNDERWAY
Construction work is progressing on the R30 million upgrade of the Onrus main sewerage pump station next to the Onrus estuary following the receipt of environmental authorisation for the project from the Department of Environmental Affairs.
This project will provide emergency storage capacity, while significantly increasing the throughput capacity of the pump station to convey effluent to the Schulphoek wastewater treatment works in Hermanus.
The completed project, scheduled for mid-2027, will significantly reduce the risk of sewage spillages into the sensitive Onrus estuary.
WELL FIELD DEVELOPMENT
The municipality is continuing with its groundwater development in parallel with its preparation work for seawater desalination, with a drilling contractor currently on site at the Gateway well field in Hermanus. After completion at Gateway, the drilling contractor will move to Pearly Beach for groundwater exploration in that area during the latter part of 2026.
INVESTING IN WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE
The Onrus project forms part of a wider programme of investment by Overstrand Municipality to strengthen water and wastewater infrastructure across the municipal area.
The Municipality’s 2026/27 budget includes a number of ongoing water and wastewater projects, including the refurbishment of the Buffelsrivier water treatment works near Pringle Bay, the upgrade of the Hermanus well fields, groundwater development in Pearly Beach, and the replacement of water pipelines.
Wastewater system projects include the above-mentioned upgrading of the Onrus pump station, and the refurbishment and upgrading of the Hawston wastewater treatment works, which is currently in the environmental impact assessment stage, sewerage telemetry system upgrades, and the extension of the Hawston sewer network.
BUFFELS RIVER WATER TREATMENT WORKS (WTW)
The other major investment in Overstrand’s water infrastructure is the refurbishment and upgrade of the Buffels River WTW, which treats raw water from the Buffels River Dam for bulk supply to the towns of Rooi-Els, Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay.
Construction is scheduled to continue until the second half of 2027.
The construction cost is R64 million, which is largely funded by a water services infrastructure grant from the Department of Water and Sanitation.
The project includes a new inlet structure, a new mechanically mixed flocculation tank, a new filtration system, a new disinfection system, new chemical storage and dosing systems, a new backwash water recycling system, and a new admin building and control room.
Issued by:
Edward Jantjies, Acting Municipal Manager
Overstrand Municipality
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