Melkbosstrand residents are preparing for a nine-hour water outage as the City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate undertakes critical work on the local supply network. The shutdown will run from 19:00 on Wednesday, 3 December, until 4:00 on Thursday, 4 December, with the entire area expected to be without water.
The city confirmed that the interruption is necessary to complete essential repairs and upgrades. It stated that the team will replace a T-connection on the 350 mm diameter water supply main, work described as vital for long-term stability.
According to the Directorate, “This critical maintenance work is done on our water supply infrastructure to benefit customers.”
Officials urged residents to make preparations ahead of the outage, stressing that while not everyone may experience a complete loss of supply, advance planning remains important.
“Residents in the affected areas are encouraged to take note of the work that will take place and prepare accordingly,” the city said.
Residents urged to store clean water and secure taps for the water outage
Authorities are advising residents to store sufficient water in clean, sealed containers to manage through the outage. They emphasised that water should be kept in hygienic conditions to avoid contamination during extended storage.
The city reminded the public that the precautionary storage “does not guarantee all residents will have water disruption, but it aims to ensure they can prepare in the event it does occur.”
Residents are also encouraged to close their taps during the shutdown to prevent possible flooding or damage when the water supply is restored. The city added that water may appear milky or discoloured once the system comes back online due to trapped air, but this should clear after a short period.
Tankers deployed as city warns of possible delays
Water tankers will be stationed in Melkbosstrand during the shutdown, with locations coordinated through the local ward councillor.
The city cautioned that maintenance tasks occasionally take longer than planned due to unexpected complexities. It assured residents that every effort has been made to schedule the work at a time that causes the least disruption.
All repair and upgrade sites remain off-limits to the public because they are treated as construction zones, the Directorate said. Residents can follow updates and tanker locations on the city’s official alert channel, @CityofCTAlerts, on X.
