Lerato Mailoane
Lenseria Smart City, the first post-apartheid smart city, has taken a significant step forward by launching a water treatment plant.
This 18-month development will produce two megalitres per day (2MLD) using advanced membrane-aerated biofilm reactor technology.
Speaking at the sod-turning ceremony, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi hailed the project as essential to fulfilling President Cyril Ramaphosa’s vision of a modern smart city.
Lanseria Smart City is an area earmarked for radical residential and commercial development. The city aims to accommodate up to half a million residents, and newly integrated public transport systems will connect residential zones and industrial hubs in 2030.
“We just came out of a two-day local government turnaround summit, and one of the biggest resolutions is that the province will lead the biggest in the Gauteng Infrastructure Agency, and all municipal bulk services will strictly fund bulk services across all municipalities in our province.”
Lesufi said this project is for future generations. “It starts here. This is how you grow the province and the country.”
The water treatment plant represents phase 1 of the larger smart city initiative, which includes a wastewater treatment facility designed to process 50 million litres of sewage daily.
The state-of-the-art plant, funded with over R320 million from Invest International Capital B.V. and Exim Finance, aims to address critical infrastructure needs in Lanseria while substantially reducing its environmental impact.
The plant is expected to save 300 000 tons of CO2 emissions annually and reuse 90% of processed water, making it 4-8 times more energy efficient than traditional facilities.
Crosspoint Property Investments, the lead contractor, aims to tackle water and sanitation gaps in Lanseria. Upon completion, the plant is projected to create 4 500 jobs, provide potable water to approximately 1 800 residents, and open over 300 000 square meters of commercial space, contributing to the area’s economic development.
Crosspoint’s CEO, Sizakele Mabuza-Kekana, shared her optimism about the plant’s impact.
“Crosspoint has secured significant international financial backing from Exim Finance Limited and Invest International Capital B.V. with a medium to long-term vision to provide innovative funding models and implement and operate sustainable water services infrastructure to support investment in Lanseria Smart City.
“This is certainly the start of the overall development. The advantage is that it will have a privately-owned and-run water treatment plant through which grey water will be recycled for reuse in flushing toilets and watering gardens. We couldn’t start developing the Township without a bulk water treatment system that gives everyone from shareholders to investors and others confidence,” Mabuza-Kekana said.
In his recent State of the Nation Address, President Ramaphosa affirmed the significance of the new city.
“This is an actual city that is rising from the ground up…we have put together an innovative process that will fund the electricity, water, digital infrastructure and roads that will be the foundation of this new city.
“It will not only be smart and 5G-ready but also be a leading benchmark for green infrastructure, continentally and internationally,” said President Ramaphosa then.
SOURCED FROM THE GPG WEBSITE.
