Cape Town to Face 9-Hour Water Outage on Tuesday

Key Takeaways

• The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be carrying out extensive upgrades on December 9, resulting in a nine-hour water outage for multiple suburbs.
• The affected suburbs include Vredekloof East, CBD, Vredehoek, and Camps Bay.
• Residents are advised to store water in advance and keep taps closed to manage the impact of the outage.
• The city will be deploying tankers to assist where needed, and residents can follow @CityofCTAlerts for updates on tanker locations and project progress.
• The upgrades are part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ageing infrastructure and benefit customers.

Introduction to the Water Outage
The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has announced that it will be carrying out extensive upgrades on December 9, which will result in a nine-hour water outage for multiple suburbs across the metro. The affected suburbs include Vredekloof East, CBD, Vredehoek, and Camps Bay. According to the city, the work is essential to "benefit customers" and forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ageing infrastructure. The upgrades will involve the installation, repair, and replacement of valves and pipelines, which will be carried out during the shutdown.

Affected Suburbs and Outage Details
The water outage will affect different suburbs at different times. In Vredekloof East, the water will be off from 9:00 to 18:00 as teams upgrade a section of the main supplying Welgeleë Road, Welkom Road, George Road, and surrounding streets. Residents in this area will have no water throughout the period, and a tanker will be deployed to assist where needed. A similar full-day outage will affect Tulbagh Square in the Cape Town CBD, where engineers will install a new connection on the Hans Strijdom Avenue main. In Vredehoek, Upper Maynard Street and nearby roads will undergo a test shut off from 10:00 to 12:00 on Thursday, December 11, ahead of a significant connection. Both shutdowns will leave the area without water. Parts of Camps Bay will also face interruptions, with Willesden, Finchley, and Dunkeld Streets affected. A test shutdown will run from 10:00 to 13:00 on Tuesday, followed by the primary outage on Thursday from 9:00 to 18:00.

City’s Response and Preparations
The city has urged residents to prepare for the outage and has advised them to store water in advance. The city has emphasized that "water should be stored in clean, sealed containers." Residents have also been warned that maintenance may take longer if complications arise, and that water may appear milky after restoration due to trapped air. The city has reassured residents that the work has been timed to "ensure it is being done at a time that is least disruptive." The city has also committed to deploying tankers to assist where needed and has encouraged residents to follow @CityofCTAlerts for updates on tanker locations and project progress.

Managing the Impact of the Outage
To manage the impact of the outage, residents are advised to store enough water, keep taps closed, and follow @CityofCTAlerts for updates. The city has also warned residents that they may experience some disruptions during the outage, but has reassured them that the work is essential to strengthening ageing infrastructure. The city has apologized for any inconvenience caused and has urged residents to be patient during this time. The city’s efforts to inform and prepare residents for the outage are aimed at minimizing the disruption and ensuring that residents are aware of the work being done.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate will be carrying out extensive upgrades on December 9, resulting in a nine-hour water outage for multiple suburbs. The city has urged residents to prepare for the outage and has advised them to store water in advance. The city has committed to deploying tankers to assist where needed and has encouraged residents to follow @CityofCTAlerts for updates on tanker locations and project progress. While the outage may cause some disruptions, the city’s efforts to inform and prepare residents are aimed at minimizing the disruption and ensuring that residents are aware of the work being done. The city’s commitment to strengthening ageing infrastructure is a positive step towards ensuring that residents have access to reliable and safe water supplies.