Cape Town gears up to fight wildfires with treated sewage

Treated effluent could be used on wildfires in Cape Town this summer to avoid depleting shrinking stocks of drinking water.

Labour-intensive firefighting methods are also being stepped up‚ and as a last resort fire tenders will be filled with sea water.

The measures were unveiled on Wednesday as the City of Cape Town said 120 seasonal firefighters were completing their training and two helicopters and a spotter plane would be on standby from December 1.

“We have reassessed our fire management strategy amid the prevailing drought crisis and adapted accordingly‚” said JP Smith‚ the mayoral committee member for safety and security.

A study was under way to see if treated effluent could be used on fires “without any detrimental effects to personnel and firefighting equipment”‚ he said.

Other steps being taken included:

- Ensuring fire engines with foam systems were dispatched rapidly to wildfires;

- Using firefighters with beaters and rakes to contain fires‚ and placing greater emphasis on perimeter firefighting;

- Mapping all alternative water sources‚ such as rivers‚ dams and vleis‚ so they can be used to extract water;

- Bombing wildfires from the air with seawater rather than fresh water whenever possible.

“As a last resort‚ the service will use sea water in its vehicles for firefighting purposes‚ although this is not recommended as it could corrode equipment‚” said Smith.

Cape Town experiences up to 9‚000 vegetation fires each summer‚ and Smith said the protection of life and property would remain the top priority.

“If it is necessary to use drinking water to extinguish a fire‚ this will happen without hesitation‚” he said.

But he warned the city council would not accept responsibility for damage to private property caused by low water pressure or water rationing.

“Property owners must speak to their insurer and other relevant bodies to ensure they are aware of all requirements and consequences of fires during a time of drought when water pressure will likely be low‚” he said.

Water pressure would not be reduced in informal settlements. “This is due to the risks that informal structures pose and also the high population density of these areas.”