KZN residents vent frustrations over lack of water in some areas

Affected areas stretch from Chatsworth to Port Edward. 

Fran Kronberger, who lives in Port Edward, says they have struggled with supply for years, but in the past six months they have received only several hours' worth of running water.

"There is no water and we have got old people taking five litres of water to flush their toilets and carrying it upstairs and we a desperate. Nobody seems to realise how desperate we are." 

Ray Nkonyeni Municipality's Ward 1 Councillor Stephanie Breedt says the shortages aren't related to the floods but rather an ongoing issue with electricity supply.

"At the moment, there is a delay with the local community in the Eastern Cape that are wanting to negotiate something rather with the municipality and with Eskom in order to allow this line to go through, so that is an issue."

READ: Eskom warns of possible rolling blackouts this week

"Once that electricity upgrade has done and carried out, we will have a much-improved amount of water that is able to be lifted out of the river, purified and then sent to the various reservoirs." 

In eThekwini, residents of Shallcross say they are at their wit's end. 

Pamela Singh says they are tired of getting no answers.

"Nobody seems to be able to help us to pinpoint what the problem is that the people are suffering. Day and night there is no water. Suddenly a little bid of water comes, nobody knows from where that comes and the next thing suddenly its closed off. You can't even get through to engineering services which is the place we can complain about no water." 

eThekwini Municipality has yet to respond to Newswatch's request for comment. 

In other parts of eThekwini, water infrastructure that was damaged during the floods earlier this year is currently being repaired or reconstructed.

This means many households have limited supply in the form of water rationing or have to rely on water tankers.