City requests residents to urgently reduce their water consumption

28 September 2023

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate is currently doing emergency maintenance at the Blackheath Water Treatment Plant.

As per our previous media release dated 24 September 2023, the Blackheath Water Treatment Plant shutdown was scheduled to end at 24:00 on Wednesday, 27 September 2023. We then requested that residents in the northern parts of the

City reduce their consumption. Our request now extends city-wide due to the knock-on effect on our bulk water supply network.

The work now involves the repair of this onsite storm-damaged water treatment pipeline, which complicated matters as it was unforeseen. This resulted in the extension of the shutdown period.

The respective bulk water reservoirs were filled prior to and in preparation for the shutdown period with the other water treatment plants assisting in taking over the Blackheath water supply. The Wemmershoek Water Treatment Plant also experienced production limitations due to the storm impact on the Wemmershoek Dam that affected the incoming water.

Yesterday's water consumption however exceeded the supply placing the bulk water network under strain and resulted in the reservoirs not being able to maintain sustainable levels of supply. The water treatment plants supplying the bulk water network will be increasing production.

This, in addition to other maintenance work on our water supply network across the City has necessitated the need to request that our consumers urgently reduce their water consumption until the maintenance work at the Blackheath Water Treatment Plant is completed.

This work forms part of the Water and Sanitation Directorate's 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

Blackheath water consumption