Water off in parts of Cape Town from 15 to 20 September

The City of Cape Town's Water and Sanitation Directorate will be doing planned work in the identified areas, which will result in water supply disruption.

This critical maintenance work is done on our water supply infrastructure to benefit customers.

Residents in the affected areas are encouraged to take note of the work that will take place and prepare accordingly.

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 water disruption, but it aims to ensure they are able to prepare in the event that it does occur.

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

Voëlvlei Water Treatment Plant shutdown

The Voëlvlei Water Treatment Plant will be shut off from 08:00 on Monday, 15 September 2025 until 16:00 on Saturday, 20 September.

This will allow for maintenance work. The City reservoirs for the supply areas will be filled in advance.

The Drakenstein Municipality and private users along the Voëlvlei pipeline have been informed to fill their reservoirs and make alternate arrangements. Residents and businesses in the Durbanville, Philadelphia, Fisantekraal and Klipheuwel areas are, however, requested to reduce their water consumption during this period.

Faure Water Treatment Plant shutdown

The Faure Water Treatment Plant will be shut off from 08:00 until 24:00 on Monday, 15 September.

This will allow the maintenance team to safely remove the blank plate that was temporarily installed during the maintenance of the Faure Reservoir.

The water supply to the Cape Town Film Studio, Amazon and Dream World along Baden Powell Drive will also be shut off temporarily.

Eureka Estate – Elsies River

Maintenance teams will be doing a temporary shut-off of the water main to Eureka Estate, Elsies River, from 09:00 until 18:00 on Tuesday, 16 September.

The area bounded by Owen Road, 42nd Avenue, Connaught Road and 35th Street will experience no water during this period.

This shut-off will enable a new connection to be made to the water supply main. A water tanker will be roaming through the area to provide water for domestic use.

Wynberg East

Maintenance teams will be doing a temporary shut-off of the water main to Wynberg East from 09:00 until 16:00 on Tuesday, 16 September.

The area bounded by the Railway line, Broad Road, Rosmead Avenue and South Road will experience lower than usual water pressure during this period.

This shut-off will enable the teams to replace the connecting spool piece on the Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) for the water supply zone.

Part of Wetton

Maintenance teams will be doing a temporary shut-off of the water main to part of Wetton from 08:00 until 17:00 on Tuesday, 16 September.

The area along Wetton Road between Chukker Road and Rosmead Avenue will experience no water during this period. This shut-off will be done to accommodate the roadworks in the area.

Part of Rylands

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has appointed a contractor, Carp Civils, to conduct a pipe replacement project on Mabel Road and Middel Road, Rylands, until 12 December.

This may result in brief intermittent flow disruptions. Construction will be undertaken using pipe cracking technology, which may result in some noise and inconvenience during the course of the works.

Normal working hours will be from 08:00 until 17:00, Monday to Friday. Work may also be carried out on weekends and public holidays. Prior notice will be provided when water supply disruptions occur. The water supply to Forbes Avenue, Duine Street, Mabel Road and surrounding roads in Rylands will be shut off temporarily from 09:00 until 18:00 on Thursday,18 September.

This will enable the contractor to safely install a control valve at the intersection of Duine Street and Mabel Road, and another at the intersection of Forbes Avenue and Mabel Road.

A temporary above-surface water supply pipeline will also be installed on Mabel Road, between Duine Street and Forbes Avenue.

Residents in these streets will experience no water during this period.

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.

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, 16 September 2025, from 10:00 until 16:00: Lot 3 Bellville, which includes the area bounded by Robert Sobukwe Drive, Kasselsvlei Road, Industry Road and Kosmos Street and possibly the immediate surrounds in Bellville South.
 
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 the 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.

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.

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.