Guides · Vlei-side homes
Zandvlei ties these four suburbs together. Before the city grew around it, the vlei was a lake with a wide reed swamp running roughly two kilometres north towards today's Kirstenhof and Retreat. The Westlake River still comes down off the Steenberg, through the Kirstenhof wetlands and past Lakeside into the vlei, and the vlei's level is now held by a rubble weir and a sand bar at the Muizenberg mouth.
Marina da Gama was planned in 1969 and built through the 1970s on what was then a windswept stretch of sand on the vlei's eastern side, with canals cut in and their banks finished in soil-cement. It has a little over 1,300 erven and its own homeowners' association. Lakeside looks across the water from the mountain side, and Westlake, a wartime military site in the early 1940s before it became housing, sits just upstream with Kirstenhof. Living this close to water brings a few things worth knowing about plumbing and electrics.
What living near the vlei does to your plumbing and electrics
The big one is that your drains and the vlei are closely connected. The City has traced repeated Zandvlei closures to sewage spills: failed pumps at local pump stations, and blocked sewers that overflow into the stormwater system and the Sand River Canal. Most blockages start in homes and restaurants, with fat poured down sinks and wipes and other things that shouldn't be flushed.
The second is that much of Marina da Gama sits only a little above the water. In the July 2009 storm, the water rose through gardens and reached front doors before it dropped back over the next two days. Low ground means outdoor sockets, pool and pond pumps, and garden lights are closer to water than in most suburbs. A lot of the Marina's homes are also now around 50 years old, so original geysers, valves and wiring are due for a proper look if they haven't had one. Residents of Lakeside also talk about strong wind and salty, sandy air off False Bay, which is hard on outside taps, fittings and roof-mounted equipment.
Signs worth acting on
- Gurgling drains or a slow toilet. Often the first sign of a partial blockage further down the line.
- Water standing in a gully or drain chamber after it hasn't rained.
- A sewer smell outside near the gully or inspection eye.
- The earth leakage tripping after rain, or when the pool or pond pump starts.
- Rust or green crust on outside taps and valves, or a geyser valve dripping from the overflow pipe.
- A water bill that jumps with no change in how you use water.
How we find and fix it
For drains, we find the blockage, clear it, and where it keeps coming back we check the line with a camera to see whether roots, a collapsed section or a bad joint is the real cause. Our blocked drains guide covers the usual causes. For electrics, a tripping earth leakage almost always means moisture getting into an outside circuit, and we test circuit by circuit to find it rather than guessing. We fix outdoor sockets and pump connections with proper weatherproof fittings.
If your geyser is close to the end of its life, it's worth looking at solar or a heat pump. In Marina da Gama, check with the association first before anything new goes on the roof or a visible wall, because building alterations there go to its architectural committee before the City. Our heat pump guide explains the trade-offs.
Selling or letting around Zandvlei
When a property transfers in Cape Town, the City requires a plumbing Certificate of Compliance, and an electrical CoC is required nationally. For a 1970s home the usual problems are geyser valves and drip trays that don't meet the current standard, and older electrical boards. We can do the plumbing and electrical certificates, and arrange gas and beetle certificates through vetted partners we manage, so all four are handled in one call. Estate and rental agents can see how we work with them on our estate agents page.
How Lightning Fast works around Zandvlei
Our office is in Fish Hoek, a short drive from Lakeside, Marina da Gama, Westlake and Kirstenhof, and the same call-out rate covers the whole Southern Suburbs and South Peninsula. Every job gets a fixed itemised quote before work starts, a photographed report recorded on site in our own app, and a 12-month workmanship guarantee. Our plumber is PIRB registered and our electrician is registered. For genuine emergencies we're on site within 3 hours, day or night, with no after-hours charge, or within 4 hours over the December–January and Easter holidays. For more on geyser emergencies nearby, see our Muizenberg, Steenberg and Diep River guide.
Common questions
Why does my drain keep blocking in Marina da Gama?
Usually because of fat, wipes or roots in the line, or a damaged section of pipe. If clearing it only helps for a while, a camera inspection shows what is really causing it.
Do I need the association's approval for solar panels or a heat pump in Marina da Gama?
Check with the Marina da Gama Association before you start. Building alterations there go to its architectural committee before the City, so ask before anything new goes on the roof or a visible wall.
Why does my earth leakage trip when it rains?
Moisture is usually getting into an outside socket, light, or pump connection. We test each circuit to find the fault and fit proper weatherproof fittings.