Pipe project valued at R56 million to quell Hout Bay leaks

The City of Cape Town has projects planned to upgrade Hout Bay's pipe network and halt the frequent pipe bursts plaguing the area.

During a public meeting held at Hout Bay library on Wednesday March 12, the City presented detailed plans of high-pressure pipeline upgrades, scheduled to start in October next year.

Last year, Sentinel reported that the City had replaced more than 3300m of water pipes in Hout Bay with a further 2300m set to be done soon, however, the project has yet to stop the pipe bursts plaguing the community ('Pipe repairs a ‘plaster on a bleeding wound’)

In January this year, there was another pipe burst in Imizamo Yethu that sent the community into a frenzy after it caused extensive flooding there ('Pipe burst causes flooding misery in IY')

During the meeting, it was confirmed that the water reticulation network in Hout Bay is ageing and operates under high pressure to accommodate the area's steep terrain. 

Critical infrastructure, some of which are nearly 70 years old, are approaching the end of their design lifespan, which is causing frequent pipe bursts and leaks along high-pressure main pipe lines.

The upgrades are a joint collaboration with the directorate’s Water Demand Management (WDM) and Reticulation branches, who confirmed the need for pipeline upgrades and alternative reticulation solutions following in-depth assessments.

Project consultant Esme Erasmus presented a slideshow of the four-phase pipe replacement project planned for Hout Bay.

"Our investigations confirmed there was a need for pipe replacements. In January the City identified the critical sections of pipelines which need to be upgraded," she said. 

The pipelines in Valley Road, Hout Bay Main Road will be replaced and there will be a new dedicated supply pipe towards the Hout Bay heights reservoir, she added.

"Phase 1's new pipeline will be a 300mm diameter installed to provide a dedicated supply from the Constantia Nek reservoir to the Suikerbossie reservoir. The pipeline will be 2.3km in length."

Despite the City's promises on providing a reliable water supply and to curb the frequent pipe bursts, many residents aired their frustrations on the City's delays in addressing their previous complaints.

One resident, who lives near Constantia Nek, said: "I don't know about Hout Bay's pipes being like a broken tea cup but I declare our state a sift because it's in a continuous state of burst pipes and leaking for the last 18 months. 

"Since then I've been logging leaks escaped them to the directorate, to the Mayor and the water continues to flow down the road. What else can we do please?" 

Many residents called on the City to address the issue of many complaints (C3s) being pre-emptively closed.

One resident from Valley Road said: "I've been having water leaks at my property for 13 days. Since I've reported it and logged my C3. No one has picked up the phone, no one has come over to my house.

"The water just keeps leaking out the pipe, we've tried to patch it privately to contain the water. That is completely unacceptable."

The phases of the high-pressure pipeline upgrades are as follows: 

Phase One: A total of 2.3km of 300mm pipeline will be installed along Valley Road to provide a dedicated supply from Constantia Nek Reservoir to Suikerbossie Reservoir. This pipeline will replace the existing 300mm supply, which has been prone to continuous bursts, particularly between Hout Bay Main Road and Valley Road.

 Phase Two: A total of 1.1km of 250mm pipeline will be installed along Valley Road to extend the pressure-reduced pipeline. This will ensure a reliable, pressure-managed supply from Constantia Nek Reservoir into Hout Bay. This is a new pipeline that will be installed from Park Avenue and Valley Road intersection to Victoria Road and Valley Road intersection.

 Phase Three: A total of 1.4km of 200mm pipeline will be installed along Hout Bay Main Road to improve network reliability and pressure management. This phase is currently in concept and viability stage. This will replace the 225mm pipeline along Hout Bay Main Road.

 Phase Four: 1.3km of 315mm pipeline will be installed to improve supply to Hout Bay Heights and Hangberg. This is a new pipeline that will be installed from Princess Street and Hout Bay Harbour Road intersection to Harbour Road and Atlantic Skipper Street.

The City will be investing more than R56 million for Phases One and Two, which will run from October 2026 until June 2027. Another R47 million will be invested for Phases Three and Four, which are currently in the concept stage.