Recurring pipe bursts and water outages in far south a concern

Water supply disruptions linked to burst pipes and leaks have become a regular occurrence across the far south, with numerous incidents recorded in suburbs including Fish Hoek, Muizenberg and Lakeside.

Between Friday, January 2, and Thursday, January 22 alone, a series of water-related faults were logged, involving burst water mains, leaking pipes and interruptions to supply.

The incidents at times led to flooded roads, traffic disruptions, and the deployment of water tankers while repairs were carried out.

Among the cases recorded during that period were burst water mains in Mullet Close, Muizenberg, and Highway Road, Fish Hoek.

Further problems were reported in Upper Recreation Road and Nelson Road in Fish Hoek, Iron Street in Lakeside, and at several other locations, including Mountain Road and 20th Avenue in Fish Hoek. Some incidents required unplanned maintenance and temporary water shut-offs.

In response to questions about the frequency of pipe bursts and the condition of infrastructure in the area, mayoral committee member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said there are several possible causes.

“Pipes can burst for various reasons, such as air entrapment, ageing, and ground movement over time. The City’s water maintenance teams are dispatched as soon as they are informed of a reported water supply disruption to investigate the matter and resolve it in the shortest possible time,” he said.

Mr Badroodien also outlined pipe replacement and upgrade projects completed and underway in the broader Far South area over recent financial years.

Projects completed in 2022/23 included work in Ocean View, Fish Hoek, Scarborough and Simon’s Town. In 2023/24, upgrades were completed in Noordhoek, Simon’s Town, Fish Hoek and Ocean View, along with several areas in Hout Bay. During 2024/25, further projects were finalised in Glencairn, Kommetjie, Simon’s Town, Fish Hoek and Noordhoek.

For the 2025/26 financial year, ongoing projects include pipe replacement in parts of Fish Hoek, Sun Valley, Noordhoek, Simon’s Town, Steenberg and Kommetjie, as well as additional work in Hout Bay and Glencairn.

Addressing whether ageing infrastructure contributes to pipe failures, Mr Badroodien said the City has introduced measures to reduce pressure on the system.

“The City has, over a period of time, introduced Pressure Management Zones across the city, including the Far South, to mitigate pipe bursts resulting from excessive pressures on the internal pipe walls, especially for ageing infrastructure,” he said.

He added that, in addition, a city-wide pipe replacement programme is budgeted for each year to address vulnerable sections of the reticulation network identified according to specific criteria.

On how the City is planning for increased demand from new developments, he said infrastructure planning forms part of the approval process.

“The City does master planning, which is approved before any developments can be done. This involves detailed assessments of the network supply capacity and evaluation of water demand for new developments. This indicates that a systematic engineering approach is followed to accommodate any new developments,” Mr Badroodien said.

He said the City’s approach combines day-to-day maintenance with longer-term upgrades to strengthen the system.

“Our maintenance teams attend to reported incidents as a priority, while our capital replacement programme focuses on renewing vulnerable sections of the network and improving overall resilience over time,” Mr Badroodien said.