Overstrand Municipality has received an increased number of calls and e-mails from residents in Kleinmond and surrounding areas regarding low water pressure in Palmiet and intermittent water supply since the weekend.
In order to save time in not addressing each and every enquiry, we would like to take this opportunity to update the public on the current situation and the steps to be taken to address the issue, particularly for those in Sea Avenues and the area below Palmiet Road.
Overstrand Municipality operational team is conducting daily maintenance on the Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) setup to clean strainers and ensure that water flows smoothly. We are also checking shut-off valves regularly to confirm they are fully open. These actions should help reduce issues, but the problem of low pressure will not be fully resolved in the short term, particularly during periods of high demand due to the influx of holidaymakers. An instruction was also issued to the operational teams to do the flushing of the PRV’s during low peak times to reduce the impact of low pressure supply when the need is the highest.
Pipe Bursts
In addition to the ongoing low pressure, we are also dealing with pipe bursts in the area, which are further affecting water flow. We are working to repair these bursts as quickly as possible and will send out SMS updates as soon as we confirm the affected streets.
While Overstrand Municipality is working hard to resolve these issues, we ask residents to understand that frequent outages, though disruptive, do not typically last a full working day. The latest incidents were unfortunate as in preparation of the peak season valve maintenance was prioritised and further exacerbated with accompanying pipe breaks. It can however be stated with confidence that the lead time for repairs were still within the parameters of the municipality’s service charter.
A permanent solution will require replacing the old asbestos pipes in the area. Until these upgrades are made, residents may continue to experience bursts and outages. Residents are aware of the pipe replacement programme of the municipality which is a multi-year project and will remain such until such time as sufficient budget becomes available to fast track the roll out of the replacement program.
Please ensure your household’s contact details (one cellphone number per household) are registered on the municipal SMS database to receive these updates. The form is available on the municipal website www.overstrand.gov.za > Application Forms > Financial Services: Various.
