City of Cape Town plans water shutdowns for maintenance

The new maintenance projects are expected to cause disruptions across the city, though the maintenance windows are all shorter than 24 hours

Following the recently initiated projects for renovating and expanding water treatment work by Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate, the following planned maintenance will lead to water disruptions in various areas:

Conditional Assessments:

1. Plumstead and Wynberg: Conditional assessments until Nov 30, with possible lower water pressures for up to 1.5 hours.
2. Plumstead, Southfield, Elfindale, Heathfield, Diep River: Zero-pressure testing from Nov 14, 21:00, to Nov 15, 04:00.
3. Bellville South, Beroma, Glenhaven, Labiance, Kasselsvlei: Simulation testing from Nov 14, 21:00, to Nov 15, 04:00.
4. Die Wingerd, Greenway Rise, Stuart’s Hill, etc.: Zero-pressure testing from Nov 16, 21:00, to Nov 17, 04:00.

Planned Maintenance Work:

1. Northern parts of the City (Durbanville, Kraaifontein, etc.): Wemmershoek Water Treatment Plant shutdown on Nov 14, 04:00 to 23:00.
2. Large part of Gordon’s Bay: Water supply shutdown from Nov 14, 08:00 to 18:00 for maintenance.
3. Langa: Main water supply shutdown on Nov 16, 09:00 to 19:00 for emergency repairs.
4. Site C (Khayelitsha): Water supply shutdown on Nov 14, 10:00 to 18:00 for meter replacement.

Water tankers will provide water for domestic consumption where required.

The work comes amid chronic accusations of neglect of the city’s wastewater treatment facilities. New projects worth R5bn are scheduled to start construction, to reduce contamination of the ocean water. Action SA has recently launched a lawsuit for the pollution of these swimming grounds, though DA representatives under the new city administration have worked quickly to catch up to projects ignored under the previous administration.

Part of the challenge facing wastewater runoff is the presence of large informal settlements, where flooding and regular untreated wastewater are difficult to manage, given the difficulties in relocating residents under present legal restrictions on eviction in illegal settlements, which are often too dense and unplanned to initiate major infrastructural projects in without disrupting existing housing.