Cape Town: The City of Cape Town Water and Sanitation Directorate will be commencing with the planned water supply maintenance work in the selected areas, to resolve the water supply disruptions.
As per the sources, the city will start working on planned water supply maintenance from Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 to Thursday, Feb 29, 2024. The Water and Sanitation Department of the City is regretting the inconvenience caused by them to the residents.
Reportedly, it is critical work which is done on the water supply infrastructure, mainly to benefit the customers. The residents in the affected areas were encouraged to take note of the work that will take place and prepare according to that.
The pressure management installations and operations will start with zero-pressure testing. The step-testing is also a part of the installation process for pressure management technology.
The tests are done in advance to see if any unaware ting inflows and need to be considered before installing smart pressure-reducing valves.
According to the reports, in the affected areas, some residents may experience low water pressure and some are not even receiving the water out of their taps. The experts can’t predict which areas or streets will experience the disturbances.
Moreover, conditional testing was done that ensured the pressure-reducing valves (PRVs) in the water supply network were operating effectively. It is managing the pressures at the defined settings to preserve the lifespan of the pipeline and reduce the occurrence of water wastage resulting from pipe bursts.
There are some important things that the residents of Cape Town need to know about the larger scale, which is a planned water supply disruption:
- The residents need to carefully consider the planning of the work to ensure that it is being done at the time that is least disruptive to the water supply.
- All sites where water and sanitation repair and upgradation needs to be done are decided to be constructed to the off-limits to members of the public.
- The residents need to take note that sometimes, the maintenance work can be more complex than anticipated, as the work could take longer time to complete.
- Note that the water may get discolored or look milky, due to the air trapped in the pipes. If the water is left in the glass, it will look clear as it looks normally.
As per the schedule, the Zero-pressure tests (ZPT) and conditional assessments will be conducted on the water supply network for the following days in the selected areas:
- On Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 in Bellville South, Beroma, Glenhaven, Labiance and Kasselsvlei from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 in Polkadraai – Blackheath area from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, Feb 27, 2024 in a part of Strand bounded by Algoa Street, De Ruyter Street, Beach Road and Main Road from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- On Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024 in Somerset Ridge, Westridge, Audas Estate – Somerset West Area from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- On Thursday, Feb 29, 2024 in Cherrywood Gardens, Roundhay, Lionviham, Kalamunda and Audas Estate – (Bizweni) Somerset West Area from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The City of Cape Town advised the residents to prepare for planned water supply disruptions. the officials advised to store enough water in clean, sealed containers in advance for use during this period.
The residents were also advised to keep their taps closed to prevent any water loss or damage when the water supply is restored.