In 2018, the Wuppertal settlement, including the town’s 50-year old reservoir, was ravaged by a devastating fire. Two years after the fire tore through the settlement in the Cederberg, Western Cape, SBS was approached to design a unique 200kl fire water tank to serve the new fire hydrant reticulation in the settlement. The town’s 50-year-old reservoir had collapsed, leaving the community without backup water storage.
While the Wuppertal community consists of mainly stock farmers and Rooibos tea plantations, the area is also a popular South African tourist destination for 4×4, cyclists and hiking enthusiasts as well as travellers visiting the area during the Namaqualand flower season.
SBS also needed to take into account Wuppertal’s status as an environmentally protected site and the inaccessibility of the site to large freight transporters. A concrete ring beam, with an elevation of over one metre on the lowest side of the slab, was required due to the sloped nature of the existing site where the original reservoir had stood. This posed an additional challenge to the SBS installation team, but despite this, the new tank was completed and ready to be commissioned exactly one month after the request came through.
With the backing of the Rupert Family, contractors Boland Bouers and SBS Tanks, this popular tourist destination was able to once again become a safe haven for its people and continue showing off its rich heritage.
Despite the challenges faced on-site, the new tank was installed and ready to be commissioned one month after the request came through to SBS.
Due to the sloped nature of the site, the concrete ring beam installed required a 1 metre elevation on one side.
© SBS Holdings 2026
