The City of Cape Town has announced the interruption of water supply in certain areas of the city, as part of a pipeline condition assessment, in preparation for the Cape Town harbour emergency desalination plant. The interruptions are scheduled to begin at 22h00 on Friday evening. The affected areas include, Maitland, Paarden Eiland, Cape Town Harbour, Lower Woodstock, The Cape Town CBD, and possibly Green Point and Sea Point. The city of Cape Town says, this is a necessary step in its efforts to beat the drought.

“This assessment will look at a stretch of 2 km of pipeline and will evaluate and prepare it for the connection of the desalination plant into the bulk water main. This involves assessing the valves and general conditions of the pipeline,” Mayor Patricia de Lille said in a statement released on Thursday.

Spokesperson for the mayor, Zara Nicholson, says the desalination plant will supply an additional 50 million litres per day as part of the City’s emergency supply scheme.

“The assessment will evaluate the condition of the main water supply pipeline for the connection from the desalination plant to the bulk water main. This involves assessing the valves and the general conditions of the pipeline.”

Nicholson says the water pressure to some areas will be affected as a means to prepare and ensure that the water coming from the desalination plant can reach the bulk water system safety and securely.

“In order to do this assessment, the city has to reduce the water pressure to some areas. We are doing everything possible on our side to ensure that the water saving efforts on behalf of Capetonians does not go to waste.

“We thank Cape Town for saving and we ask that you help and support us as we bring additional support online,” Nicholson stated.

VOC 91.3fm