The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate has embarked on its city-wide Water Meter Replacement Programme for the 2025/2026 financial year. Over the next months, approximately 62 000 ageing and faulty meters will be replaced to ensure residents continue to receive accurate water meter readings and fair billing.The Water Meter Replacement Programme started in August 2025 and is scheduled to continue until the end of June 2026.
Purpose
The purpose of the programme is to:
-Replace aged (metal) or malfunctioning water meters to improve the accuracy of readings.
-Relocate water meters from inside private properties to more accessible locations for easier reading, maintenance and control.
-Install new water meter connections for individual land buyers intending to develop homes or businesses.
Areas earmarked for replacement:
-Northern areas: Parklands, Edgemead, Melkbosstrand, Bothasig, Brackenfell South, Hout Bay and Durbanville
-Blue Downs and surrounds: Hunters Creek, Kleinvlei Town, St Dumas, Tuscany Glen, Brentwood Park, Hagley, Camelot, Greenfields, Gaylee, Forest -Village and Hillcrest Heights
-Southern and central areas: Lansdowne, Boston, Crawford, Oakglen, Surrey Estate, Oakdale, Bridgetown, Rylands, Silvertown and Mandalay
-Other focus areas: Claremont, Lentegeur, Fish Hoek, Constantia, Beacon Valley, Lotus River and Heathfield
Additional ad hoc replacements will take place across the city.
“This R72 million annual programme is vital for keeping our water infrastructure up to date and ensuring residents are billed accurately based on actual consumption. An accurate reading saves both water and money as it reduces estimates and allows customers to track their water use, identify spikes and detect possible leaks. Residents can continue to submit their own monthly water meter readings to the City,” said the City’s Mayco Member for Water and Sanitation, Zahid Badroodien.
“We are aware that residents may sometimes be hesitant to allow contractors onto their properties. We encourage residents to verify the contractor’s identity through the City’s official communication channels to provide peace of mind,” said Badroodien.What residents need to know about the water meter replacement process.
Contractor
A City-appointed contractor, Gunning Construction and Civils, is installing the meters across Cape Town.
Contractors will provide property owners with an official City of Cape Town letter confirming the need for meter replacement as part of planned maintenance.
If unsure, residents can verify the contractor’s validity using the contact details below before allowing access into their home.
If no one is home when a contractor visits, a seven-day notice will be left with details of the next scheduled visit.Residents can use their account number to verify the validity of the work when contacting the City on WhatsApp on 060 018 1505.
