Water and Sanitation swiftly repairs leak at Hout Bay Reservoir, thanks to community alert
26 February 2024
The City’s Water and Sanitation team quickly leapt into action to repair a significant leak on the Hout Bay Reservoir pipe, thanks to a prompt alert from local residents and the ward councillor. The timely notification and subsequent response prevented substantial water loss and ensured continued supply to the area.
On Wednesday, 21 February 2024, around 08:18, residents noticed an unusual water spray at the reservoir. They brought this to the attention of the local ward councillor, who alerted the Water and Sanitation teams. Responding swiftly, the first level response team was dispatched to conduct an initial assessment.
A pipe burst was discovered on the incoming feed to the reservoir, situated before the control valve was detected.
The team worked throughout the day to expose the 350mm damaged pipe section and remove it. Maintenance teams had to plan appropriately and work with the community to transport digger loaders and the replacement pipe section up the mountain in difficult conditions due to the density of Imizamo Yethu and low-hanging electricity cables.
Fortunately the reservoir sustained sufficient water storage through the entire duration of repairs.
Water supply to the area continued without disruption, although there was a period when levels dropped to a critical 11,25%.
City teams working non-stop overnight were successful when the pipeline was reconnected at 03:40 on Thursday morning. Soon thereafter reservoir levels were steadily replenished.
The positive outcome of events underscores the importance of community involvement and collaboration. Efficient management of water resources is enhanced by residents reporting incidents through the appropriate channels.
'We are immensely grateful to both the community and the proactive response teams for their collective action. This resulted in repairs to the reservoir being completed in less than 20 hours, working in difficult terrain and extended hours. The co-ordinated communication between all parties led to quick action, not only preventing water loss, but also averting water supply disruptions,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Sanitation, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Residents can also significantly reduce response times by:
- Using the City's official channels to report water-related issues
- Correctly identifying the type of complaint (e.g. water leak, pipe burst, meter issue, etc.)
Accurate reporting allows the correct teams working in different departments (e.g. meter management, water reticulation, etc.) to schedule their workload realistically based on service requests logged on the system. If classified correctly, it saves time wasted re-organising and channelling requests to the relevant teams. This will also avoid frustrations experienced by residents seeing service requests closed as an administrative issue, needing to be resubmitted under the correct classification, for the attention of the correct team.
Another consideration for residents frustrated by turnaround times, is the balance that operational teams need to strike between attending to planned scheduled work, responding to outstanding escalations and dealing with unexpected crises, with the same limited resources at depots.
In case of emergency, residents are requested to please alert their ward councillor.
'Since the first of February, Water and Sanitation teams attended to and closed 429 service requests logged in Hout Bay alone, often working weekends and overnight. The same region is also responsible for services in other areas including Constantia, Tokai and Wynberg. We are also working relentlessly at strengthening relationships between the City and local communities, for improved efficiencies in service delivery,' said Councillor Badroodien.
Report any water and sanitation issues via the following channels:
- WhatsApp: 060 018 1505
- Online: capetown.gov.za/servicerequests
- Email: water@capetown.gov.za
- SMS: 31373 (maximum 160 characters). Standard rates apply.
- Call: 0860 103 089.
- Visit a city walk-in centre
End
Published by:
Media Office, City of Cape Town
