Guides · Plumbing & electrical
Westlake is a small suburb of about two square kilometres in the Southern Suburbs, with Tokai and Steenberg on one side and Kirstenhof and Lakeside on the other. Between 1942 and 1944 the land was a military area for the Union Defence Force. After the soldiers left it was turned into a residential suburb, and today homes share it with business parks, the Westlake Golf Club and the Westlake shopping centre, a few minutes from the M3 and the Blue Route.
It also has its own river. The Westlake River rises on the lower slopes of the Steenberg, runs through the Steenberg Estate, Pollsmoor and the Kirstenhof wetlands, and flows into Zandvlei, the only working estuary on Cape Town's False Bay coast. Living this close to a river and a wetland shapes what goes wrong with plumbing and electrics in wet weather.
What winter rain does in Westlake
- Gutters and downpipes overflow. Leaves block them and water runs down the wall instead of away from the house. Damp patches low on walls often start here.
- Outside drains back up. A gully that copes in summer can overflow in a heavy downpour, especially if roots or silt have narrowed the pipe. A drain that keeps blocking is worth a camera inspection rather than another clearing.
- The earth leakage trips. Outside plugs, garden lights, gate motors and pool or borehole pumps let in water, and the board trips, often only when it rains. That is the earth leakage protecting you. Leave the circuit off and have the fault found.
- Ceiling stains. A brown patch on the ceiling can be the roof, but it can also be the geyser or its drip tray. Our leaking geyser guide helps you tell the difference.
Your gutters may not run into the sewer
Under the City's Wastewater and Industrial Effluent By-law, no one may let rainwater into the sewer system. A downpipe that ends in a sewer gully or inspection eye is an illegal connection, and in heavy rain these connections help overload the sewers and cause overflows. The City says they should be put right by a registered plumber. Rainwater should soak into the garden, run to the street through a proper channel, or go into a tank.
Burst pipe, geyser or power fault: the first ten minutes
- Close the water at the main valve or the meter. For a leaking geyser, closing the cold water valve into it is enough.
- Switch off the geyser at the distribution board, unless the board is wet. If water is near plugs, lights or the board, stay away from it and call us.
- Burning smell or a hot plug? Switch off the main switch if you can do it safely, and call us. Don't reset a breaker that keeps tripping.
- Take photos of the damage for your insurer before anything is moved.
Whose side of the meter is it?
As a rule, the City looks after the supply up to and including the meter, and you look after the pipes after it. Water coming up through the pavement or verge, or from the meter itself, is a City report. A leak inside your boundary is a plumber's job. If your neighbours are also without water, it is probably a supply problem and should be reported to the City.
Selling a house in Westlake
When a property is transferred in the City of Cape Town, the seller needs a plumbing (water) certificate of compliance, and an electrical certificate is needed as well. We arrange plumbing, electrical, gas and beetle inspections together and give you a written report with photos, recorded on site in our own app. For the electrical side, read what is inspected before the inspector arrives, and see how a transfer runs with us.
Plumbing and electrical around Westlake
We work in Westlake, Tokai, Steenberg, Kirstenhof, Lakeside and Bergvliet, and across the Southern Suburbs and South Peninsula on one flat call-out rate, Westlake included. Next door, our Tokai guide covers older post-war homes and water cut-offs, and our Lakeside and Kirstenhof guide covers homes on the vlei side. For anything that isn't an emergency, WhatsApp us on 074 490 3100 or email enquiries@lightningfast.co.za. Office hours are Monday to Friday 07:30 to 17:30 and Saturday 08:00 to 13:00.
Common questions
Do you have a plumber and electrician in Westlake for emergencies?
Yes. We take emergency calls day and night on 074 490 3100, and emergencies carry no after-hours charge. Our office is in Fish Hoek, and on the phone we tell you how soon someone can be with you.
Why does my electricity trip when it rains in Westlake?
Usually because water is getting into an outside plug, garden light, gate motor or pump connection and the earth leakage is doing its job. Don't keep resetting it. Leave that circuit off and have the fault found.
Can my gutters drain into the sewer?
No. The City of Cape Town's Wastewater and Industrial Effluent By-law prohibits discharging rainwater into the sewer system. Rainwater should soak into the garden, run to the street through a proper channel, or go into a tank.
Do I need certificates to sell a house in Westlake?
In the City of Cape Town the seller needs a plumbing (water) certificate of compliance on transfer, and an electrical certificate of compliance is needed too. We inspect plumbing, electrical, gas and beetle together and give you a written report with photos.