Live or work between University Estate and Atlantic Seaboard? Please reduce water consumption!

Continued technical issues at the Molteno Reservoir Pump Station have left several areas across Cape Town, from University Estate to the City Bowl and the Atlantic Seaboard, with low water pressure or no water at all.

Complications with repair work are the cause of the delay in restoring the water supply.

Water and Sanitation teams have been working through the night since Monday, 26 May 2025, when the Molteno Reservoir Pump Station had to be taken offline due to an unexpected mechanical failure of both transfer pumps and a faulty transformer.
 
While repairs were expected to be completed this afternoon, Thursday, 29 May, a delay was encountered when a suction valve at the pump station was found open during a test run while the line was being charged.

This required the team to halt the process and assess the condition of the motor.

The pump is currently being dismantled due to an issue with the drive-side mechanical seal.
 
On the positive side, the Kloofnek Water Treatment Plant has increased production from 14 to 19 million litres per day, and some areas now have water, albeit at lower pressure. 

Residents and businesses are, however, still requested to urgently reduce their consumption.

The call to reduce water consumption, where residents have a water supply, will help to reduce the demand on the network. This will allow for the reservoirs to be replenished, which will take a few days as the water supply stabilises. We urgently request all consumers in the affected areas to reduce their water use immediately. If demand continues at current levels, the system will not be able to sustain supply, and many areas will experience outages.
 
Areas affected:

Gardens, Oranjezicht, Tamboerskloof, Schotsche Kloof/Bo-Kaap, Higgovale, Upper City Bowl, Bantry Bay, Fresnaye, Green Point, parts of Sea Point, Walmer Estate, University Estate, Upper Woodstock, District Six, Vredehoek, Camps Bay and Oudekraal.
 
The City’s operational teams are working to:

• Complete emergency repairs at the Molteno Pump Station.
• Reroute water where possible to reduce the impact.
 
Water tankers are stationed at the following locations:

• Bantry Bay: Corner of Ocean View Drive and De Wet Road
• Green Point: Corner of Carreg Crescent and Ocean View Drive
• Bo-Kaap: Yusuf Drive, corner of Bantam Road
• Gardens: Myrtle Street
• Gardens: Hof Street (in front of the Mediclinic)
• Bo-Kaap: Astana Street
• Walmer Estate: Corner of Chester and Melbourne roads
 
For updates on the maintenance work (and location of tankers where applicable), follow @CityofCTAlerts, which is a City of Cape Town X account.

"Our team remains committed to completing this repair as urgently as possible and aims to restore the affected residents’ water supply as soon as possible. Once repairs are finalised, the line will be recharged, which may take a few hours before full water supply is restored to all affected areas. Ward councillors will also be kept up to date on the progress of the work to ensure effective communication with residents."

- Zahid Badroodien, Water and Sanitation - City of Cape Town