Cape Flats Water Plant Wins Top International Architecture Honours

Photo Credit: Supplied

Cape Town’s new Advanced Water Reclamation Plant (AWRP) in Pelican Park recently snagged an international award at the 13th Annual Architizer A+Awards in New York, showing the world that vital infrastructure can be both incredibly functional and incredibly beautiful!

Cape Town, South Africa (09 July 2025) – Following the completion of the City’s first Advanced Water Reclamation Plant (AWRP) in December 2024, the City proudly celebrates another milestone towards excellence. The AWRP has been named Jury Winner in the Factories and Warehouses category at the prestigious 13th Annual Architizer A+Awards in June 2025, in New York!

Situated next to the Cape Flats Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) in Pelican Park, the AWRP is a vital part of the City’s groundwater action plan to build Cape Town’s water resilient future.

The state-of-the-art project is one of the key facilities in implementing the Water and Sanitation Directorate’s New Water Programme.

The AWRP will play a crucial role in the managed injection of treated secondary effluent into the Cape Flats Aquifer, replenishing this vital groundwater source. This will enable the City to abstract water from the aquifer sustainably, which will then undergo further treatment at potable water treatment plants (WTPs) to meet SANS 241 drinking water standards.

The water plant is a fundamental component of the Cape Flats Aquifer Management Scheme, which is expected to yield up to 54 million litres of water per day.

Every rand spent on this facility is an investment towards improving water security, climate resilience and building a more drought-resilient Cape Town.

“This international award shows that South African infrastructure can lead the world not just in advanced functionality, but also in aesthetically pleasing and purposeful design. Just as the building has achieved top honours in design, the City is striving towards implementing top-quality processes as well, once the facility is completed in April 2027,” explained Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

“Work on the next phase is currently underway, which will see the installation of mechanical and electrical components such as ozone generators, ultra-violet disinfection, pumps and filter media.”