Update on planned water supply disruptions for the week ahead - from 19 April

19 April 2023

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be doing planned work in the identified areas below, which will result in water supply disruptions. The City sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused while this critical work is done on its water supply infrastructure for the benefit of its consumers. Affected residents 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 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 the City of Cape Town Twitter account: @CityofCTAlerts.

How residents are advised to prepare for planned water supply disruptions:

Store enough water in clean sealed containers in advance, to last 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

Dreyersdal, Kirstenhof, Dennendal and Tokai
Zero pressure tests will be conducted on the main water supply to these areas bounded by the M4, Steenberg Road/Orpen Road, Simon Van Der Stel Freeway and Keysers Canal. This work will result in the disruption of the water supply today, Wednesday, 19 April 2023, from 21:00 overnight until 04:00 on Thursday, 20 April 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, valve and meter installations, repairs and replacements

Site C Khayelitsha
The City's Water and Sanitation Directorate needs to replace a bulk water meter on the main water supply to Site C in Khayelitsha which will require that the water supply be shut off from 10:00 until 16:00 tomorrow, Thursday, 20 April 2023. This will enable the maintenance crew to do the meter replacement safely. A dummy shut-off was done yesterday, 18 April 2023, to determine if sufficient alternate water supply can be rerouted to the area, but it is not possible. Residents in the lower parts of Site C will have water at lower than usual pressure and are kindly requested to reduce their water consumption during this period. The higher lying parts will however experience no water during this period. Water tankers will be roaming through the area to provide water for domestic consumption.

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.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office

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