Water off for maintenance in areas across Western Cape from Tuesday to Thursday (5 to 7 August)

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be doing planned work in the identified areas, which will result in a water supply disruption. This critical maintenance work is done on our water supply infrastructure to benefit customers.

Maintenance work, including pipe and valve installations, repairs and replacements 

Residents are advised to store enough water in advance as a precautionary measure.

Water should be stored in clean, sealed containers. This precaution does not guarantee all residents will have a water disruption, but it aims to ensure they are able to prepare just in case it does occur.

Planned maintenance work will result in a water supply disruption to these areas: 

Weltevreden Valley

Maintenance teams will be doing a temporary test shut-off of the water main in the Weltevreden Valley area from 09:00 to 13:00 on Tuesday, 5 August 2025.

This test is in preparation for the actual water shut-off scheduled from 09:00 to 18:00 on Thursday, 7 August 2025, to allow for two new connections to be made on the water supply main to the area. Consumers in Weltevreden Valley will experience no water supply during these times.

High-lying parts of Khayelitsha (Kuyasa, Harare, Litha Park and Ndlovini)

The water supply to these areas will be shut off temporarily from 20:00 on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, overnight until 04:00 on Thursday, 7 August 2025.

This will enable the maintenance team to safely assess the valve configuration of the bulk reticulation network supplying these areas.

These residents will experience low water pressure to no water during this period. Residents in the lower parts of Khayelitsha may experience slight pressure fluctuations.

Wemmershoek Water Treatment Plant shutdown

The Wemmershoek Water Treatment Plant (WTP) will shut down from 08:00 until 12:00 on Wednesday, 6 August 2025, to allow the maintenance team to do essential maintenance during this period.

Upon start-up at noon, the plant will be at low flow (130ML/D), while testing the turbines, until 18:00. Consumers in Kraaifontein, Bloekombos and Wallacedene are kindly requested to reduce their water consumption during this period.

The City’s reservoirs in the northern areas will be filled in advance.

The Drakenstein and Stellenbosch municipalities, as well as private consumers along the Wemmershoek pipeline, have been informed to make the necessary preparations.

Affected residents are kindly advised to store water in clean, sealed containers ahead of the disruption to ensure an adequate supply.

Welgelegen and Panorama

Maintenance teams will be doing a temporary shut-off of the water main in the Welgelegen area and possibly surrounding streets from 09:00 until 18:00 on Thursday, 7 August 2025.

This will enable them to safely blank off a 150mm diameter defective valve in the network.

Residents in this area will experience no water during this period.

Zero-pressure tests (ZPT) and conditional assessments will be done on the water supply network, resulting in water supply disruptions in the following areas:

• Tuesday, 5 August 2025, from 10:00 until 16:00: The area bound by Robert Sobukwe Drive, Kasselsvlei Road, Industry Road, Kosmos Street and possibly immediate surrounds in Bellville South.
• Wednesday, 6 August 2025, from 10:00 until 16:00: Vredekloof, Welgelee, Arauna, Morgenster, St Kilda, Marlborough Park, Brackenfell Industrial and Okavango Park.
• Thursday, 7 August 2025, from 10:00 until 16:00: Belmont Park, Eikendal, Kleinbegin and Summerville.

Zero-pressure testing and step-testing are part of the installation process for zone management infrastructure. Tests are done in advance to see if any unmapped inflows need to be considered before installing new infrastructure (such as pressure-reducing valves for pressure management). 

In these affected areas, some residents may experience low water pressure, while some may have no water during the testing period. Unfortunately, it is not possible to predict which exact areas or streets will experience disruptions. 

Additional zone management investigations will be carried out to ensure that existing infrastructure is operating effectively. Pressure fluctuations may be experienced, but every effort will be made to minimise the impact 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.

How residents are advised to prepare for planned water supply disruptions:

1. Store enough water in clean, sealed containers in advance for use during this period.
2. Keep your taps closed to prevent any water loss and/or damage when the water supply is restored.

What residents need to know about larger-scale planned water supply disruptions:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Sometimes the maintenance work can be more complex than anticipated, which means the work could take longer.
4. 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 X account.