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main pipeline ran along Main Road as far as King’s Hotel in Kalk Bay. From January 1900

water became available to consumers and by the end of October 134 connections had been
made to the system. But, as it was going to take time to make connections to every house, five

temporary supply taps were erected for public use between Muizenberg and Kalk Bay, so that

use could be made of the 35 000 gallons otherwise running to waste daily.

Although the dam is generally known today as the Silvermine Reservoir its official name was

the Hansen Reservoir. It was given this name by the KB-MM Council in 1903 in memory of
Mayor Hansen who had drowned tragically while swimming at Kommetjie.

One of the related outcomes of the new water supply was the construction of the Municipal
Wash House at Kalk Bay on a site bounded by Lever and Rouxville Roads (Fig. 4.6.) In

August 1900 Council gave consideration to the erection of suitable wash-houses at this site

and to obtaining suitable plans. The spring at this point had been an informal washing place
for years but the flow of water was neither reliable nor always clean. With the arrival of piped

water it was now possible for the Council ........”to assure visitors......that their clothes would

be washed in clean water. At present most of the washing was done at Diep River or Retreat
where the water was notoriously contaminated with all kinds of filth.” (WT 23/3/1901). The

Wash House was completed in about six weeks at a cost of £675 and opened by Mayor

Hansen in June 1901. The wash-house caretaker worked on a commission basis receiving
20% of the revenue he collected, while the fishermen’s wives took in washing on a

commercial basis. The wash house operated until the early 1950s when the structure was

demolished and the land converted into a small play-park.

Many other related municipal improvements were necessitated by the installation of running

water such as the Sewerage Scheme 1904 - 07, the Electric Lighting Scheme and Royal Road
Power Station 1904 - 07, and the widening, kerbing and guttering of Main Road 1905 - 07.

References

Timoney, T. (1994) Woodhead Dam Centenary Leaflet.

Wynberg Times.