Multiple water outages coming to Cape Town areas this week

The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has announced a comprehensive infrastructure maintenance programme that will result in planned water supply disruptions across multiple areas over the coming weeks.

The critical maintenance work, designed to benefit customers through improved water supply infrastructure, will affect residents from the Southern Peninsula to Khayelitsha.

According to the city, residents in affected areas are encouraged to take note of the scheduled work and prepare accordingly by storing adequate water supplies in advance.

Five-month water project in Athlone

A five-month project commenced on 9 June 2025, targeting pressure improvements across:

• Hanover Park,
• Athlone,
• Rylands,
• Newfields,
• Pinati Estate,
• Belthorn Estate,
• Penlyn Estate and
• Belgravia.

“The Water and Sanitation Directorate’s appointed contractor will conduct low-pressure investigations to enhance water pressures in these areas,” the city said.

It added that the project’s operational hours run from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, with affected residents receiving weekly advance notifications of planned disruptions.

This week’s focus centres on pipeline investigations in the Athlone area.

It will specifically target Crawford and Belthorn Estate suburbs.

“The work will involve tracing, verification and positioning of the valves in the pipeline along Taroga Road, Camberwell Road, Haywood Road and surrounding streets,” the city explained.

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Southern peninsula faces weekend and weekly disruptions

Fire hydrant repairs and replacements affected various Southern Peninsula locations throughout Saturday, 21 June 2025, with intermittent water supply reported in Retreat along Daisy Hill Road, Kommetjie on Kommetjie Main Road, and parts of Strand.

More extensive disruptions are scheduled for Monday, 23 June 2025, when water supply to parts of Strand will be completely shut off from 9am until 7pm.

“Residents will experience no water during this period,” the city stated.

The maintenance involves installing valves and connecting the existing water supply infrastructure in Algoa Road.

The city further indicated that, in consultation with local ward councillors, water tankers will be deployed to supply domestic water where needed.

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Midweek maintenance across multiple Cape Town areas

Tuesday, 24 June 2025, will see significant activity across two major areas.

The water supply to Rusthof in Strand will be temporarily shut off for 12 hours, from 9am until 8pm, to enable the installation of a water meter and connection of a pressure reducing valve to the existing 300mm diameter pipeline.

Simultaneously, a large portion of Saxonsea in Atlantis will experience water shutoffs from 8am until 5pm for pipe replacement construction work.

The following areas will experience low water pressure or complete water loss:

• Hermes Avenue,
• Kehrweider Street,
• Lusitania Place,
• Livanos Place,
• Middenrak Crescent,
• Mauritius Street,
• Mexican Street,
• Montagu Street,
• Nimrod Street,
• Nieuw Place,
• Nautilus Street,
• Napoleon Street,
• Namaqua Place,
• Holland Street and surrounding areas.

Thursday operations

Thursday, 26 June 2025, presents the most extensive disruption schedule, affecting three separate areas simultaneously.

Kelderhof in the Helderberg will also experience water shutoffs from 9am until 8pm as maintenance teams relocate the pressure-reducing valve to a newly constructed valve chamber outside the estate.

“A water tanker will be located at the entrance to the estate to provide water for domestic consumption during this period.”

The same timeframe will affect:

• Town 3,
• Harare,
• Litha Park and
• Kuyasa in Khayelitsha.

During this period, teams will connect a 300mm diameter water meter on the water supply main in Mfuleni.

Residents in these areas will experience low water pressure to complete water loss.

“Water tankers will be made available to provide water for domestic use where required.”

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Zero-pressure testing programme rolls out

The city has scheduled zero-pressure tests and conditional assessments across multiple areas this week as part of the zone management infrastructure installation.

Tuesday’s testing from 10am until 4pm will affect:

• Kraaifontein,
• Peerless Park East,
• Peerless Park West,
• Scottsville and
• Eikendal.

Meanwhile, Wednesday’s rollout programme covers the following areas:

• Belmont Park,
• Eikendal,
• Kleinbegin and Summerville during the same hours.

Additionally, Thursday’s testing targets Kenridge, Durbanville Hills, Vergesig and Aurora.

The city explained that zero-pressure testing and step-testing form 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).”

The city could not determine which exact areas or streets would be affected by the water supply disruptions.

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Spring water returns to Vredehoek

In positive news for spring water enthusiasts, the Bradwell Spring collection point at the corner of Upper Buitenkant Street and Ludlow Road in Vredehoek has resumed operations.

The spring had been closed since early April due to its non-perennial nature, but began yielding spring water again in late last week.

However, the city cautions that the availability of the spring is not guaranteed.

Cape Town water outage preparation guidelines and safety measures

The city emphasised that careful consideration has been given to planning this work to minimise disruption to the water supply.

All maintenance and upgrade sites are designated as construction sites and remain off-limits to the public.

Residents should be aware that maintenance work can sometimes prove more complex than anticipated, potentially extending completion times.

Following supply restoration, water may appear discoloured or milky due to trapped air in pipes, though this will clear when left to stand in a glass.

The city recommended that residents store sufficient water in clean, sealed containers in advance and keep taps closed to prevent water loss or damage when the supply is restored.

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