Cape Town areas to experience a 9-hour water outage soon

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will perform crucial maintenance work, resulting in water supply disruptions in several areas.

This planned maintenance aims to enhance the water supply infrastructure, ultimately benefiting customers. Residents in the affected regions should take note and prepare for the disruption.

AREAS AFFECTED BY MAINTENANCE WORK IN CAPE TOWN

The planned maintenance involves pipe and valve installations, repairs, and replacements. The Cape Town areas set to experience water supply disruptions include Dennemere, Blackheath residential area, Rustdal, Saxenberg, Blackheath Industrial Area, Austinville, Happy Valley, Heath Street Industrial Area, Greenfields, The Conifers, Gaylee, and Wimbledon Estate. The water supply in these areas will be shut off from 9:00 to 18:00 on Thursday, 25 July. This shutdown will allow the maintenance team to safely install three control valves on the main water supply pipeline, improving the management of future water supply shut offs in these regions.

CLAREMONT TO SEE NEW CONNECTIONS

In addition to the above areas, part of Claremont will also experience water supply disruptions. Two new connections and two control valves will be installed on the main water supply in Main Road, Claremont, from 9:00 to 18:00 on Thursday, 25 July. This will affect the area bounded by San Souci Street, the railway line, Stellenberg Avenue, and Cavendish Street in Claremont. Residents in this area may experience no water or low water pressure during this period.

Furthermore, residents are advised to store enough water in advance as a precautionary measure. It is recommended to store water in clean, sealed containers.

PROACTIVE MEASURES FOR FUTURE CONTINUITY

This maintenance work forms part of the Water and Sanitation Directorate’s proactive infrastructure maintenance and upgrade program. The program aims to ensure the future continuity of water supply by addressing the issue of unaccounted-for water.

“We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused,” the city stated.

The planning of this work has been done carefully to ensure it occurs at a time that is least disruptive to the water supply. All sites where water and sanitation repairs and upgrades are conducted are considered construction sites and are off-limits to the public. Furthermore, the maintenance work can sometimes be more complex than anticipated, potentially extending the duration of the work. After the supply is restored, the water may be discoloured or look milky due to trapped air in the pipes. However, this will clear up if left to stand in a glass.

PREPARING FOR THE DISRUPTION

Here are steps to take, to prepare for the water cuts:

• Residents should be aware that while the maintenance work is planned to minimise disruption, they need to take necessary precautions to mitigate the impact of the water supply interruption.
• Storing adequate water and understanding the potential for temporary discoloration of the water supply are key steps.