Various communities on the South Peninsula have been left high and dry since Sunday after vandals damaged a water pipe in Parkwood.
The water outage resulted in 44 schools dismissing learners early on Monday and the Cape of Good Hope appealing for water donations to assist 500 animals.
The City says an air valve was damaged in Blackbird Avenue, Parkwood, on Sunday afternoon, which caused a leak in the system.
In order to repair the damage, the City needed to shut down the water supply, which impacted thousands of residents in areas such as Pelican Park, Strandfontein, Zeekoevlei, Grassy Park, Muizenberg and Wetton.
Water tankers have been allocated in various communities although by late on Monday, some areas’ water flow had been restored although the water pressure was still low.
Beryl Williams from Lotus River says she prefers loadshedding over water-shedding.
“In my household, we buy 20 litres of water per day which we use for cooking, drinking, washing and flushing the toilet but it doesn’t help at all.
“If the electricity is off, at least I can cook on the gas but when the water is off there is nothing we can do.”
She adds: “A water tank has been supplied but I refuse to stand in that long queue.”
The WCED Metro South district office says learners at 44 schools were dismissed early for health and safety reasons. These include Cafda School of Skills, Heathfield Primary, Lavender Hill High, and Grassdale High.
On Monday, Water and Sanitation Mayco member, Zahid Badroodien said teams had removed the bulk water pipe to replace it with a new pipe which was already on site.
“The damage is quite extensive. However, efforts are being undertaken to resolve this issue speedily to safely restore the water by Tuesday morning. This is a changing estimate and is not a final indication of repair completion timeline.”
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA asked mense to drop off water at their office in 1st Avenue, Grassy Park to help 500 animals in need.