EXPANDING McGREGOR’S WATER SUPPLY CAPACITY

Langeberg Municipality is investing R55 233 555.00 (R45 070 580.87 Municipal Infrastructure Grant and R10 162 974.13 Capital Replacement Reserves) towards a major upgrade project at the McGregor Water Treatment Works (WTW), aimed at increasing the capacity of the town’s water infrastructure while supporting reliable water services for residents, businesses and future developments.

Why is the project being implemented?
McGregor has experienced growth in water demand over time. As part of the Municipality’s Water Master Planning process, the existing infrastructure was assessed, identifying the need to increase the capacity of the Water Treatment Works to meet future water requirements and strengthen the reliability of the overall system.

Water supplied to McGregor originates from the Houtbaais River Scheme, managed by the McGregor Water User Association. The Municipality receives a share of this water resource, which is treated at the Water Treatment Works before being distributed to residents and businesses through the town’s reservoirs and pipeline network.

What will the project entail?
The McGregor Water Treatment Works (WTW) is currently operating at more than 30% above its original design capacity. The existing plant has a treatment capacity of 600 kℓ/day, which will be increased to 1,400 kℓ/day.

The main objectives of the upgrade are to provide sufficient treatment capacity for the next 20+ years based on population growth estimates. In addition to increasing capacity, the project will address several operational and treatment limitations within the existing works. These improvements include the installation of appropriately sized filtration systems, as well as upgrades to the raw water supply pipeline and pumping infrastructure. The chemical dosing systems will also be upgraded to accommodate the increased treatment capacity. This includes improvements to coagulation, stabilisation, and disinfection processes, ensuring continued compliance with water quality standards.

The upgraded works will incorporate a backwash recovery tank to increase water recovery and limit the waste stream. The project will modernise the plant's monitoring and control systems through the implementation of advanced instrumentation, including telemetry, enhanced process control functionality, and a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

Project timeline and planned shutdowns
The construction commenced on 2 April 2026, and is expected to last for approximately two years, with an anticipated completion date of 2 April 2028. Throughout the construction process, there will be planned shutdowns of the Water Treatment Works at various stages of the project. These shutdowns are necessary to ensure safe connections between the existing infrastructure and the newly installed systems.

Residents will be notified of planned interruptions through the municipal website, WhatsApp channel and bulk SMS database, and the municipality appreciates the community’s patience and cooperation while the work is underway.

Once completed, the upgraded Water Treatment Works will increase the town’s ability to meet current and future water demand, improve service reliability and strengthen long-term water security through sustainable infrastructure investment.