Cape Town residents warned to store water ahead of maintenance

CAPE TOWN — Cape Town residents have been urged to store water ahead of planned maintenance from Monday, with parts of Woodstock facing intermittent daytime shutdowns for several months and other communities scheduled for disruptions between 5 and 9 October.

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate said maintenance will include pipe and valve installations, repairs, replacements and pressure testing. Residents in affected areas should store enough water beforehand in clean, sealed containers.

One of the largest operations starts at the Faure Water Treatment Plant at 08:00 on Monday, 5 October, with the plant scheduled to remain shut until 18:00 on Wednesday. The work was originally planned for late September but postponed while the City dealt with an emergency repair to a leaking 810mm pipeline in Claremont.

During the Faure shutdown, water normally supplied by the plant will be supplemented through the Steenbras and Blackheath bulk pipelines. Reservoirs will also be filled beforehand, but the City warned that the operation will place additional pressure on bulk water storage and asked residents and businesses across Cape Town to reduce consumption during the shutdown.

A much longer programme begins in Woodstock on Monday and is expected to continue until 30 April 2027. Pipe and valve replacements will result in intermittent shutdowns between 08:00 and 17:00 in Ravenscraig Road, Woodlands Road, Pine Road, Queens Road, Beyers Road, Warwick Street, Salmon Street, Coventry Road, Duke Road, Park Road and High Street, with surrounding streets potentially also affected. Residents will be notified before individual shutdowns.

On Wednesday, water will be shut off between 09:00 and 18:00 in parts of Broadlands Road, Lwandle, Helderberg Industrial and potentially surrounding areas in Strand while a new connection is made to a 300mm water main.

Dieman Road, Iris Road and surrounding parts of Grassy Park are also scheduled to lose supply on Wednesday between 08:00 and 19:00 while newly installed pipelines are connected to the existing network.

Further disruptions are expected during zero-pressure testing. Martinville-Bizweni is scheduled for testing on Wednesday from 09:00 to 16:00. On Thursday, testing will affect Helderzicht, Lourensia Park, Paardevlei, Victoria Park, Silvertas, Garden Village and Carey Park, as well as Da Gama Park, Welcome Glen and Scala Road, between 09:00 and 16:00. Some households may experience low pressure while others could have no water.

Separate leak-detection work will take place from Monday to Friday. The City said this work itself will not interrupt water supplies.

Residents have been advised to keep taps closed during shutdowns to prevent water loss or damage when supply returns. Water may temporarily appear milky or discoloured after restoration because of trapped air in the pipes.

The maintenance programme forms part of Cape Town’s efforts to replace ageing infrastructure, manage pressure and reduce water losses from leaks and pipe bursts.