Building resilience through investment in water saving interventions

This case study by GreenCape examines how the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront in Cape Town built water resilience over a ten-year period through a phased investment in green technologies and behavioral changes. By following a systematic 'Water Resilience Journey'—moving from low-cost efficiency measures to complex alternative water sources—the V&A reduced its annual water consumption by approximately 65% despite expanding its development.

• The V&A Waterfront reduced its annual water consumption from 1,370,084 kℓ (3.57 kℓ/m2) in 2010 to 479,018 kℓ (1.10 kℓ/m2) over ten years. This reduction of 891,066 kℓ/yr (65%) was achieved through approximately R7 million in water-saving investments, resulting in estimated cost savings of about R40 million on water consumption and sanitation.
• The V&A implemented a phased 'Water Resilience Journey' that prioritized low-cost, simple interventions before moving to complex systems. Initial steps included awareness campaigns, smart metering, leak detection, and the installation of water-efficient fittings (such as sensor taps and aerating restrictors). These basic efficiency interventions can reduce water consumption by 30% in commercial districts or malls.
• To manage tenant behavior and attract sustainable businesses, the V&A adopted 'green leases' in 2015. These contracts include performance clauses on reporting and consumption and mandate that new developments and installations incorporate green principles. This approach has led to water consumption savings of between 25% and 60% for tenants.
• The V&A integrated diverse alternative water sources for non-potable use, including rainwater for carwashes, borehole water for irrigation and cleaning, and filtered seawater for scrubbing parking lots. Notably, the introduction of seawater cooling for air conditioning plants at the end of 2017 eliminated the use of potable water for that purpose, saving approximately 9,000 kℓ per month per building.

APA

GreenCape (n.d.). Building resilience through investment in water saving interventions. https://greencape.co.za/assets/VA_Resilience-Case-Study_FINAL_20210629.pdf

Chicago

GreenCape. Building resilience through investment in water saving interventions. n.d. https://greencape.co.za/assets/VA_Resilience-Case-Study_FINAL_20210629.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=GreenCape |title=Building resilience through investment in water saving interventions |url=https://greencape.co.za/assets/VA_Resilience-Case-Study_FINAL_20210629.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greencapendbuilding, author = {{GreenCape}}, title = {{Building resilience through investment in water saving interventions}}, institution = {GreenCape}, url = {https://greencape.co.za/assets/VA_Resilience-Case-Study_FINAL_20210629.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }