Planned water supply maintenance for 21 to 30 August

Planned water supply maintenance for 21 to 30 August

21 August 2026

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will conduct planned work in the identified areas, which may result in water supply disruptions. This critical maintenance work is being 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 that all residents will experience a water disruption, but it aims to ensure they can prepare if one does occur.

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

Planned National Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) RSE Tunnel Maintenance Shutdown

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has notified all affected water users that the Theewaterskloof Dam to Riviersonderend (RSE) Berg River Tunnel has been shut down from 12 to 24 August 2026 to allow for essential inspection and maintenance work on the tunnel infrastructure. This shutdown will significantly reduce the availability of raw water during this period. To ensure that sufficient raw water remains available for the production of potable water at Blackheath Water Treatment Plant throughout the shutdown period, the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will close the supply from the RSE Tunnel to the Faure RSE raw water pipeline. Residents are requested to reduce their water consumption during this period.

Steenbras River Mouth, Koggel Bay, Gordons Bay, Strand, Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, Macassar, Firgrove, iThemba LABS, Eerste River East and possibly areas in between.

The City reminds residents of the planned water supply disruption to these areas from 19:00 on Friday, 21 August 2026, until 07:00 on Saturday, 22 August 2026, and again from 19:00 on Saturday, 22 August 2026, until 07:00 on Sunday, 23 August 2026. This will enable the City of Cape Town's Bulk Water Operations team to conduct acoustic leak detection testing on a critical bulk water pipeline as part of a broader condition assessment programme aimed at assessing the condition and reliability of the City's water infrastructure. Most of the affected areas are expected to experience low water pressure as water will be rerouted where possible. Residents and businesses with access to water are kindly requested to reduce consumption to essential use only to help sustain supply for as long as possible. Consumers are requested to store sufficient water in clean, sealed containers in advance for domestic use during the disruption periods. Water tankers will be made available where required to provide water for essential domestic use as and where required.

Part of Sun Valley

The City will shut off the water supply intermittently to Sunnydale Road, Lekkerwater Road, Sycamore Street, Corsair Way, Chebec Crescent and Hou Moed Avenue in Sun Valley on Monday, 24 August 2026, from 08:30 until 15:30. This will allow the maintenance team to service the pressure reducing valve (PRV) on the water supply main to the area. Residents are encouraged to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use.

Imhoff’s Gift PRV - Kommetjie

The City will shut off the water supply intermittently to Darter Road, Atlantic Drive, Wildevoelvlei Road, Rameron Road, Harrier Circle and possibly surrounds in Imhoff’s Gift, in Kommetjie on Monday, 24 August 2026, from 08:30 until 15:30. This will allow the maintenance team to service the pressure reducing valve (PRV on the water supply main to the area. Residents are encouraged to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use.

Wireless PRV - Kommetjie

The City will shut off the water supply intermittently to parts of Kommetjie Main Road, Wireless Road, Huskisson Way, Teubes Road, Kirsten Avenue, Riverside Drive and possibly surrounds in Kommetjie on Monday, 24 August 2026, from 08:30 until 15:30. This will allow the maintenance team to service the pressure reducing valve (PRV on the water supply main to the area. Residents are encouraged to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use.

Echo Road PRV - Fish Hoek

The City will shut off the water supply intermittently to Highway Road, Cliff Road, Donkin Road, Glen Eagle Road, Hillside Road, Peak Road, Ranger Road, Conservation Road, Harrington Road, Part of Kommetjie Road and possibly surrounds in Kommetjie on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, from 08:30 until 15:30. This will allow the maintenance team to service the pressure reducing valve (PRV on the water supply main to the area. Residents are encouraged to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use.

Welgedacht, Selborne Slot, Oude Westhof, Kanonberg, Kanonberg Lifestyle Estate, Van Riebeeckshof (Welgemoed)

The water supply to these areas will be temporarily shut off on Tuesday, 25 August 2026 from 10:00 until 15:00 as a test shut-off to determine the impacted area and prepare for the actual shut-off on Thursday, 27 August 2026 from 09:00 until 17:00. This will enable the maintenance team to install a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) on the water supply main to the area. Consumers in these areas will experience no water during this period. Consumers are kindly requested to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use during these periods.

Part of Primrose Park

The City will shut off the water supply temporarily to the area along Velocity Street from Gani Street to Endeavour Street, Primrose Park on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, from 09:30 until 17:00, to do a new connection to the water main in the area. Velocity Street, Gani Street, Comity Street, Fielies Road, Silica Road, Endeavour Road and possibly surrounding streets will be affected. Consumers are encouraged to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use.

Part of Winslow – Gordon’s Bay

The City will shut off the water supply to a part of Gordon's Bay on Wednesday, 26 August 2026, from 09:00 until 18:00, to enable the maintenance teams to connect and re-route the 100mm pipeline out of the river on the corner of Lancaster Street and Garden Street, Winslow, Gordon’s Bay. The affected roads include Lancaster Road to Disa Road, from Disa Road to Dennehof Street, Water Way and surrounding streets in Winslow.

Part of Fresnaye

The City will shut off the water supply temporarily to the area along Avenue Des Huguenots from Avenue De Longueville to High Level Road, Fresnaye on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, from 09:30 until 17:00, to do a new connection to the water main in the area. High Level Road, Avenue Le Sueur, Avenue Fresnaye, Avenue Disandt, Avenue De Longueville, Protea Avenue and possibly surrounding streets will be affected. Residents are encouraged to store water in advance in clean, sealed containers for domestic use.

Century City, Tygerhof, Brooklyn, Koeberg, Ysterplaat, Summer Greens, Milnerton, Kensington, Factreton, Maitland, Goodwood, Edgemead. Monte Vista, Athlone, Langa, WP Showgrounds, Pinelands, Thornton, Parow, Ruyterwacht, Grand West, Epping 1 & 2 and possibly areas in between.

The water supply to these areas will be temporarily disrupted from 19:00 on Friday, 28 August 2026, until 10:00 on Saturday, 29 August 2026, and again from 19:00 on Saturday, 29 August 2026, until 10:00 on Sunday, 30 August 2026. This will enable the City of Cape Town's Bulk Water Operations team to conduct acoustic leak detection testing on a critical bulk water pipeline as part of a broader condition assessment programme aimed at assessing the condition and reliability of the City's water infrastructure. Most of the affected areas are expected to experience low water pressure as water will be rerouted where possible. Residents and businesses with access to water are kindly requested to reduce consumption to essential use only to help sustain supply for as long as possible. Consumers are requested to store sufficient water in clean, sealed containers in advance for domestic use during the disruption periods. Water tankers will be made available where required to provide water for essential domestic use as and where required.

Leak detection in Melkbosstrand, Thornton and Welgemoed Lower

The City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be conducting visual leak detection in Melkbosstrand, Thornton and Welgemoed Lower from Monday, 24 August 2026, until Friday, 28 August 2026, from 10:00 until 15:00. Leak detection is one of the water demand management interventions for saving water and reducing water loss through leaks.

  • A leak detection team will be walking in the streets to identify potential leaks and check all pipe contact points such as valves, water meters and fire hydrants. 
  • All leaks will be reported to the relevant depot for repairs. 
  • Residents are advised that there will be no disruption to water during this exercise.

Residents are advised to store water in advance as a precautionary measure in clean, sealed containers for domestic use 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, 25 August 2026, 09:00 to 16:00: Lwandle - Strand. 
  • Tuesday, 25 August 2026, 11:00 to 16:00: Saxenburg Park - Blackheath. 
  • Wednesday, 26 August 2026, 09:00 to 11:30: Helena Heights.

Residents are advised to store water in advance as a precautionary measure in clean, sealed containers for domestic use during this period.

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.

Residents are advised to store water in advance as a precautionary measure in clean, sealed containers for domestic use during this period.

The City sincerely regrets any inconvenience.

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

  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Sometimes the maintenance work can be more complex than anticipated, which means the work could take longer. 
  • 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:

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

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