The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be doing planned work in the identified areas, which will result in water supply disruptions. The City sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused, but it must maintain its water supply infrastructure to benefit its consumers. Residents in the affected areas below are encouraged to take note of the work that will be taking place in their areas.
What residents need to know about larger-scale planned water supply disruptions:
Careful consideration has been given to the planning of this work to ensure it is being done at a time that is least disruptive to the water supply.
All sites where water and sanitation repairs and upgrades are conducted are deemed to be construction sites and, as such, are off-limits to members of the public.
Sometimes the maintenance work can be more complex than anticipated, resulting in it taking longer.
For a short period after the supply has been restored, the water may be discoloured or look milky. This is because of trapped air in the pipes. If left to stand in a glass, the appearance will become clear, like normal.
For updates on the maintenance work (and location of tankers where applicable), follow @CityofCTAlerts which is a City of Cape Town Twitter account.
How residents are advised to prepare for planned water supply disruptions:
Store enough water in clean sealed containers that will last for your use during this period.
Keep your taps closed to prevent any water loss and/or damage when the water supply is restored.
Zero-Pressure Tests, Step Tests and Conditional Assessments
Lynn’s View, Heldervue in Somerset West
Zero pressure tests will be conducted on the main water supply to the Lynn’s View, Heldervue area in Somerset West. This work will result in the disruption of the water supply in these areas on Wednesday, 1 March 2023, from 21:00 overnight until 04:00 on Thursday 2 March 2023
Mowbray, Observatory, Salt River and Woodstock
Conditional assessments of the pressure reduction valves tests will be conducted on the main water supply to the Mowbray, Observatory, Salt River and Woodstock areas. This work will result in the possible fluctuation of the water supply pressure in these areas on Wednesday, 1 March 2023 from 10:00 until 16:00.
Mowbray, Observatory, Salt River and Woodstock
Zero pressure tests will be conducted on the main water supply to the Mowbray, Observatory, Salt River and Woodstock areas. This work will result in the disruption of the water supply in these areas on Thursday, 2 March 2023, from 21:00 overnight until 04:00 on Friday 3 March 2023
Pressure management installations and operations
Zero-pressure testing and step testing are part of the installation process for pressure management technology. Tests are done in advance to see if any unmapped inflows need to be considered before installing smart pressure-reducing valves.
In these affected areas, some residents may experience low water pressure, and some may have no water coming out of their taps for some time during this overnight testing period. It is not possible to predict which areas or streets will experience disruptions.
Conditional testing on the other hand ensures that the pressure reduction valves (PRVs) in the water supply network are operating effectively and managing the pressures at the determined settings to preserve the lifespan of the pipeline and reduce the occurrence of water wastage resulting from pipe bursts. Pressure fluctuations may be experienced, but will be minimised as far as possible.
This work forms part of the City’s Water Demand Management Strategy. Managing water pressure more effectively reduces the possibility of pipe bursts and water wastage.
Maintenance Work – Pipe and valve installations, repairs and replacements
Part of Hout Bay
The water supply to Pondicherry Avenue and surrounding streets in Hout Bay will be shut off from 09:00 until 17:00 on Tuesday, 28 February 2023. This will result in the disruption of the water supply in these and surrounding roads. This will enable the maintenance team to safely construct a valve chamber for the pressure reduction valve (PRV) for the water supply zone.
Capri Village, Kommetjie
The water supply to Capri Village, Kommetjie will be shut off from 21:00 on Wednesday, 1 March 2023 overnight until 05:30 on Thursday, 2 March 2023. This will result in the disruption of the water supply to this area. This will enable the maintenance team to safely install a control valve on the water supply mains.
Mowbray, Rondebosch, Rosebank, Newlands, Claremont, Kenilworth and Wynberg
The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate needs to urgently repair a leak in Nyanga on its Steenbras bulk water pipeline leading to the Newlands Reservoir on Monday, 27 February 2023. There has been a delay in this work due to the logistics involved, but it has been resolved. During this time, residents in the Southern Suburbs between Wynberg and Mowbray are asked to please continue to reduce their usage until the repairs are completed to assist with maintaining water supply levels to their areas.
Paarden Eiland and Cape Town Foreshore
The water supply into Paarden Eiland and the Cape Town Foreshore will be shut off from Saturday, 4 March 2023 at 14:00 until Sunday, 5 March 2023 at 24:00. This 34-hour shut down will allow for the urgent and safe repairs of the 915mm diameter Bulk Water pipeline near Paarden Eiland. It will result in no water supply to Cape Town Foreshore and may result in reduced water pressure in Paarden Eiland and surrounding areas
This work forms part of the Water and Sanitation Directorate’s proactive infrastructure maintenance programme which ensures the future continuity of water supply by addressing the issue of unaccounted-for water.
The City sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused.
Source: City Of Cape Town