Residents across the City of Cape Town are being warned to expect delays in refuse collection services this week as persistent heavy rainfall, flooding and severe weather conditions continue to disrupt operations across the metro.

The City of Cape Town’s Urban Waste Management Directorate said the adverse weather has created major operational challenges for refuse collection teams, including restricted access to certain areas, slower movement of vehicles and increased traffic congestion on key routes.

According to the City, several communities have become inaccessible to cleansing and collection vehicles due to flooding, while some resources have been redirected to assist in disaster-stricken areas. Accessible routes are also experiencing unusually heavy traffic, further slowing operations.

The City said strong winds have temporarily taken cranes at transfer stations out of service, forcing refuse and cleansing vehicles to travel longer distances to landfill sites to dispose of waste.

Landfill operations are continuing cautiously, with ongoing risk assessments being conducted to determine whether conditions remain safe for operations.

“Flooding has made a number of areas inaccessible to collections and cleansing vehicles, or resulted in resources being diverted to assist in disaster areas, while accessible areas are experiencing heavier traffic than usual.”

A number of community recycling centres and drop-off sites have also been affected by the severe weather. The Schaapkraal drop-off facility is currently closed, while other sites are operating at reduced capacity.

Residents have been urged to continue placing their refuse bins outside daily until collections are completed.

In most cases, the City expects delays to remain within two days of the scheduled collection date. However, residents whose refuse has not been collected by the end of the third day are encouraged to report the matter through the City’s Call Centre.

To reduce backlogs, refuse collection teams may continue working over the weekend where necessary.

The City has also appealed to residents to delay trips to the landfill and drop-off facilities until weather conditions improve. Residents are further encouraged to recycle where possible and compost organic waste at home to help reduce pressure on household bins during the disruption.

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