Over 200 internal and external roleplayers gathered at the Water and Sanitation Directorate’s briefing yesterday Wednesday, 1 February, to discuss the concept and process of the City’s first Water and Sanitation Innovation Indaba to be held in March 2023. This indaba will focus on feasible and innovative ways to help prevent pollution in our waterways. Submissions are now open.
The briefing forms an important step to prepare for the City's first Water and Sanitation Innovation Indaba, calling for stakeholders who are interested in helping to address sanitation challenges affecting our inland water quality.
'We are excited to announce that the Water and Sanitation Innovation Indaba will be held in March. This is an initiative related to the Mayoral Priority Programme and is a great opportunity to engage and network with key stakeholders. Thank you to all the stakeholders who today have already shown an interest in journeying with the City to help address pollution challenges. We encourage more stakeholders to be a part of this conversation and submit their proposals in preparation for the Innovation Indaba event in March.
'Stakeholders have the opportunity to submit their ideas on the City's online Collaboration Platform, which is only a click away.
'Overall, the Water and Sanitation Innovation Indaba aligns with the City's Water Strategy and is helping Cape Town to become Africa's prime investment location. The City has committed to investing over R11 billion into the water and sanitation systems, positioning Cape Town as South Africa's largest infrastructure investment center,' said Councillor Siseko Mbandezi, the City's Acting Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation.
Purpose of the indaba
This indaba will provide a platform for innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, residents, and businesses to submit ideas to help solve key challenges affecting our inland ambient water quality of rivers, vleis, waterways, and wetlands. City leaders unpacked key current challenges relating to aspects of wastewater reticulation and treatment (sanitation services), theft/vandalism, informality, and sources of pollution.
Stakeholders can submit feasible ideas to help address these challenges:
Theft and vandalism
Illegal occupation of servitudes and stormwater infrastructure, particularly retention ponds
Diffuse pollution from informal settlements
Those who want to participate in the Innovation Indaba will showcase their feasible and applicable ideas and solutions for these specific challenges.
'The goal is to connect interested parties with relevant City officials and learn how we can all work together to benefit our 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 so we want to hear from others who can add their expertise and feasible ideas to this valuable conversation,' said Councillor Mbandezi.
About the indaba
Stakeholders can submit their ideas via the online portal until 8 March 2023: Water and Sanitation Innovation Indaba
Stakeholders can still join even if they were not at the briefing. The presentations and video recording of the event will be on the online portal.
Please note - this event will not result in any guaranteed work with or for the City or any funding. The goal is to connect interested parties with relevant City officials and to learn how the City can improve and work alongside those who are interested for everyone's benefit.
For more information, contact Water.Events@capetown.gov.za
Source: City Of Cape Town