The Cape Flats 75-hour water shutdown takes place later this week. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Cape Flats 75-hour water shutdown about?
The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation directorate confirmed plans to embark on a three-day maintenance assignment on the Cape Flat’s bulk supply network.
This means that from 01:00 on Friday, 16 September 2022, until 03:00 on Monday, 19 September 2022, most communities in the eastern periphery will remain without water, while some areas should only have access to low water pressure.
Water and Sanitation mayco member Zahid Badroodien regretted the inconvenience this would cause but insisted that “delaying this work has the potential for even greater risk to our water supply in the near future.”
“It is being done over a weekend to minimise the impact on residents,” he added.
The City further explained the length of the Cape Flats water shutdown is affected by “the size and scale of the pipe network, as well as the time it takes to clear the pipeline to render it safe for the maintenance team to work on and fill afterwards to build up sufficient pressure to supply water across the affected network when the work is completed.”
These Cape Flats areas will be affected
If the massive maintenance operation runs smoothly, then residents should expect nothing more than a weekend without access to treated municipal tap water. This means, for the most part, Cape Flats residents from the areas listed below will have to make preparations to ensure the availability of water for washing, cooking and drinking when the 75-hour shutdown commences.
The City did also confirm that standpipes and tankers will be parked in these areas to provide water for essential use.
Areas with no water
- Pelican Heights
- Peacock Close
- Schaapkraal
Areas with low water pressure
- Brown’s Farm/Philippi
- Eagle Park
- Grassy Park
- Khayelitsha Site C
- Lavender Hill
- Lotus River
- Manenberg
- Mitchells Plain
- Muizenberg
- Ottery
- Parkwood
- Retreat
- Seawinds
- Steenberg
- Strandfontein
- Surrey Estate
- Vrygrond
- Wetton
- Zeekovlei
What to do to prepare for the Cape Flats 75-hr water shutdown
Residents from the communities listed above are advised to store water in the days leading up to the Cape Flats water shutdown. Laundry should also be handled well before the taps dry up from 01:00 on Friday, 16 September 2022.
Here are tips for making it through the weekend with little-to-no water:
- Only use water when you absolutely need to (body washing, cleaning)
- Use grey water from washing to flush toilets)
- Spot-clean clothes where necessary
- Alternative water coming directly from boreholes and well-points should not be used for drinking, cooking (and food preparation) or body washing, as it is not treated municipal tap water, and it could be contaminated
- Do not water gardens or top up swimming pools with tap water, as these are not essential use
- In areas where there is no water, it is advisable to make sure your geyser is turned off for the duration of the pipeline maintenance period to prevent any damage
- Ensure that all taps are closed to prevent water loss and/or damage when the supply is restored
When water supply returns to the above-listed regions, “you can open an outside tap to expel any trapped air in your local plumbing installation.”
“This water can be stored in a container for later use, so it’s not wasted,” the City advised.