Additional planned water supply maintenance: 4 - 8 December 2023

4 December 2023

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be doing planned work in certain areas, which will result in water supply disruptions.

This work will result in water supply disruptions in these areas:

Zero-pressure tests (ZPT) and conditional assessments

Table View, Flamingo Vlei and Bloubergstrand
Zero-pressure testing will be done on the water supply network in these areas from 21:00 on Wednesday, 6 December 2023, overnight until 04:00 on Thursday, 7 December 2023.

Sunningdale and Bloubergstrand
Zero-pressure testing will be done on the water supply network in these areas from 21:00 on Thursday, 7 December 2023, overnight until 04:00 on Friday, 8 December 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-reducing 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

This work will result in the water supply disruption to these areas:

Westlake Industrial
The water supply to this area will be shut off from 09:00 until 18:00 on Wednesday, 6 November 2023. This will enable the maintenance team to lower a section of the pipeline from the reservoir to the Westlake Industrial area in the vicinity of Stonehurst Estate.

This work forms part of the Water and Sanitation Directorate's proactive infrastructure maintenance and upgrade programme which ensures the future continuity of water supply by addressing the issue of unaccounted for water.

The City sincerely regrets any inconvenience caused.

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, which means the work could take 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 in advance for use during this period.
Keep your taps closed to prevent any water loss and/or damage when the water supply is restored.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office

Water disruption