Mission completed

27 June 2024

Today the City celebrates the massive transversal team effort that has culminated in the proactive essential maintenance on the Cape Flats water network which was completed as planned.

Areas with no water from Monday, 24 June to Wednesday, 26 June (24:00)

Wynberg, Wetton, Ottery, Plumstead, Diep River, Southfield, Elfindale, Heathfield, Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill, Seawinds, Vrygrond, Muizenberg, Parkwood, Lotus River, Grassy Park, Zeekoevlei, Pelican Park, Pelican Heights, Peacock Close and Eagle Park, Marina Da Gama, Capricorn Park, Fairways, Knole Park and Lakeside.

The City's Water and Sanitation Directorate has replaced six valves along the Cape Flats water network - five planned and one unplanned, all within the same timeframe.

As part of the work, teams also assessed the existing pipes and did repairs, welding and modifications where needed in:

Prince George Drive (two valves replaced)
Blackbird corner of Acacia Road
Blackbird Avenue corner of Kestrel Road
Carrol Road
George Road

Emergency water relief

While teams were hard at work, the City continued to provide emergency care relief to affected communities where possible:

11 City water tankers provided water to residents over three days
6000L of bottled water donated by Peninsula Beverages to old age homes and care institutions with the help of DRM and ward councillors.
Two 33 000L water tankers availed by Peninsula Beverages filled the City's tankers to reduce turnaround times when refilling our tankers.

Transversal efforts A multi-departmental Disaster Coordinating Team (DCT) was activated for the duration of this very important work to closely coordinate and monitor the various aspects of this 72-hour operation.

Various City departments have been involved to support Water and Sanitation's efforts. This includes Disaster Risk Management, Law Enforcement, Traffic Services, Metro Police, Public Participation and Corporate Communications.

In addition, residents, ward councillors, neighbourhood watches and Peninsula Beverages have also made key contributions.

WHEN NORMAL WATER SUPPLY STARTS AGAIN

Water will slowly and systematically fill the network to prevent pipe bursts.
For a short period, 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.
You can open an outside tap to expel any trapped air in the plumbing on your property. This water can be stored in a container for later use, so it's not wasted.

THANK YOU

'This massive operation involved lots of logistics and collaboration between teams as we journeyed together with our residents during this work.

'Thank you to all our stakeholders, including residents, City departments, ward councillors, Peninsula Beverages, and neighbourhood watches, who have all helped to support this massive operation and bring relief and support to our affected communities as much as possible.

'Teams have been in the trenches 24/7 doing the maintenance we needed to ensure our 11 tankers and five construction sites were safe so water could be delivered and work could be done. At the same time, tanker schedules needed to be coordinated and communicated, residents needed to be kept updated on the progress of the work and the list goes on.

'Ward councillors played a vital role in the emergency relief, delivering donated bottled water to old age homes and co-ordinating water tanker locations with City teams to ensure smooth operations on the ground.

'A special thank you to our residents for their patience during this operation and preparation leading up to it. Everyone played an important part of this operation.

'This work will ensure that the City's pipe infrastructure is in the best possible condition for years to come. Despite the temporary inconvenience, the long-lasting benefits are necessary to best ensure service delivery in a growing city.

'We are also very grateful to all our teams who have been working non-stop to complete this work in the shortest time possible. We will continue to closely monitor the water supply until it is restored to normal,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office