International Architecture Honour for Cape Flats Water Plant

Following the completion of the City’s first Advanced Water Reclamation Plant (AWRP) in December 2024, the City proudly celebrates another milestone towards excellence, as the AWRP was named Jury Winner in the Factories and Warehouses category at the prestigious 13th Annual Architizer A+Awards in June 2025, in New York. The AWRP is situated next to the Cape Flats Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW) in Pelican Park and is a vital part of the City’s groundwater action plan to build Cape Town’s water resilient future.

The state-of-the-art AWRP 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 AWRP 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.

‘The Cape Flats AWRP is a major public infrastructure investment towards improving water security and climate resilience. Every rand spent on this facility contributes towards 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.

‘Work on the next phase is currently under way, which will see the installation of mechanical and electrical components such as: ozone generators, ultra-violet disinfection, pumps and filter media,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

Striving for excellence

Local civil engineers working in water and wastewater alongside SALT Architects, led to the momentous accolade in the Factories and Warehouses category at the 13th Annual Architizer A+Awards.

Selected from over 5 000 entries spanning 80 countries, the Cape Flats AWRP is now officially recognised as one of the best-designed buildings in the world in its category.

This is a major global architecture prize and a remarkable achievement for South African architecture.

The significance of the award

• Global recognition: The Architizer A+Awards is the largest international awards programme for architecture, where projects are judged by a panel of global leaders in architecture, technology, media and business.
• Appraised local municipal infrastructure: This is a rare moment where a South African public works project has been recognised internationally – not just for engineering, but for design excellence.
• Sustainability in water supply: The project exemplifies how municipalities can lead in implementing water resilience projects with thoughtful, future-oriented design.