The Water and Sanitation Directorate team has convened in a coordinated effort to attend to the recurring water supply disruption in part of Hout Bay. This is to address the critical repairs under way on the water supply infrastructure in Blue Valley Close, Hout Bay due to the high water pressure in the network causing residents to experience recurring water supply disruptions. The City sincerely regrets the inconvenience caused to residents and businesses. Every effort is being made to restore the water supply.
Read more below:
A Water and Sanitation maintenance team has been on site for three consecutive days, attending to on and off water supply disruptions affecting a part of Hout Bay; particularly on the right hand side of Hout Bay Main Road from Bokkemanskloof and Disa Road up to Victoria Road, including Victorskloof, Overkloof, Longkloof and Northoaks.
Yesterday, a team was deployed to the area again to respond to a leak at the same location in Blue Valley Close. The team drained the site and in their assessment discovered that a coupling on the pipe section had shifted. This resulted in further water disruptions reoccurring in the same affected areas as the water supply had to be shut off.
Water tankers are being sourced and one will be stationed outside Kenrock Estate in Valley Road and another in the vicinity of Spar in Main Road, Hout Bay.
Many parts of Hout Bay are situated at high altitudes, resulting in the need for a high-pressure reticulation system to distribute water to residential households throughout the area. Ageing water pipes are no longer able to withstand high pressure, regulated and stabilised in sections by pressure valves.
Unfortunately, while the more effective planned solution is being phased in, much of the ageing system and interconnected network of water pipes remains under pressure and is prone to pipe bursts.
Daily, First Level Responder (FLR) and maintenance teams are assigned to conduct emergency repairs. As a priority, to stop high volumes of water loss and to insert new pipe sections safely, water must be turned off for the duration of the assessment and repairs. In addition, once completed, the system needs to be flushed out and tested to determine if the line will hold while pressure is balanced across the complex network comprising new pipes, old pipes, high-pressure points and various sections undergoing repair or permanent replacement.
|
What residents need to know about water supply disruptions:
- All sites where water and sanitation repairs and upgrades are conducted are deemed 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.
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
- For updates on the maintenance work (and location of tankers), please follow @CityofCTAlerts which is a City of Cape Town X account for alerts and updates.
|
Supplied by: City of Cape Town and Photo by JJ Badenhorst on Unsplash
