Residents living in several areas in Cape Town will be without running water due to planned water supply maintenance from December 4 - 8.
In a statement on Sunday, the City said its Water and Sanitation Directorate will be doing planned work which will result in water supply disruptions.
These areas will be impacted:
Somerset West, Stuart’s Hill, Martinville, Die Wingerd, Greenway Rise and Lionviham (Bizweni - Somerset West)
"Zero-pressure testing will be done on the water supply network in these areas from 9pm on Thursday, 7 December 2023, overnight until 4am on Friday, 8 December," the City of Cape Town said.
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:
Bizweni (Somerset West)
A test shut-off will be done on the water supply to the area stretching from Somerset Heights (Dennegeur Estate) right down to the traffic lights at the Vergelegen Checkers from 10am and 2pm on Monday, 4 December. This will enable the maintenance team to safely do an assessment of the water supply network in the area. It will result in the disruption of the water supply for the duration of the work.
Part of Goodwood
The water supply to the area bounded by Voortrekker Road, Jakes Gerwel Drive, the Railway line and Alice Street will be shut off from 9am until 5pm on Tuesday, 5 December. This will enable the maintenance team to do a tie-in of the newly installed water supply pipeline to the existing infrastructure.
Site C (Khayelitsha)
The water supply to this area will be shut off temporarily from 9am and 6pm on Tuesday, 5 December. This will enable the maintenance team to safely do the replacement of the defective 200mm diameter water meter. It will result in the disruption of the water supply for the duration of the work. Water tankers will provide water for domestic consumption where required.
Large part of Gordon’s Bay (Dobson)
The water supply to a large part of Gordon’s Bay bounded by Sir Lowry’s Pass Road, Dennehoek Road, Disa Road and the Coastline will be shut off from 8am until 6pm on Tuesday, 5 December.
This will enable the maintenance team to do a tie-in of the newly installed pipe section onto the existing water supply infrastructure. Residents are kindly requested to store enough water in advance for domestic consumption.
Plumstead
The water supply to Plumstead bounded by Dick Burton Road, Prince George Drive, Victoria Road and the Railway Line will be shut off intermittently from 9am until 5pm on Tuesday, 5 December. This will enable the maintenance team to repair and replace valves and fire hydrants on the water supply network in the area. Adjacent roads may also be affected.
Southfield
The water supply to Southfield bounded by Murdine Road, Victoria Road and De Waal Road will be shut off intermittently from 9am until 5pm on Thursday, 7 November. This will enable the maintenance team to repair and replace valves and fire hydrants on the water supply network in the area. Adjacent roads may also be affected.
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.
IOL