Residents from eThekwini’s Ward 59 say irregular water tankers and dry communal taps have left households without reliable water, and are demanding a permanent solution from the municipality.
The residents – from Buffesldraai, Osindisweni and Zwelisha - staged a picket outside the eThekwini Water and Sanitation offices on Friday.
They said the water outages had made living and working conditions very difficult over the years.
They said water tankers were not a sustainable solution to the problem, calling for interventions that would ensure communities had reliable access to water.
They said they hoped the picket brought renewed attention to water-supply challenges.
The residents said the water crisis in Osindisweni was linked to the inadequate capacity at the Ogunjini Waterworks.
In April 2023, the eThekwini Municipality announced plans to recommission a pump and increase the capacity of the waterworks.
In August 2025, the city also announced interim measures that included increasing water-tanker deliveries and recommissioning a pump while infrastructure upgrades were being pursued.
The resident’s latest complaints raise questions about the progress of those interventions and whether they have translated into a reliable water supply for affected households.
Resident Lungile Ngcobo said the water tanker supply was insufficient and inconsistent, with residents sometimes going weeks without seeing a truck.
She said that when the trucks did arrive, they supplied only certain areas within the ward, leaving others without water.
Ngcobo said residents were forced to use water from the nearest dam for other household needs because the water supplied by tankers was only enough for drinking.
“For toilets, cooking and cleaning, we use water from the nearest dam. The situation is so bad that children are often sent home from school,” said Ngcobo.
She said the crisis had persisted for years, forcing some residents to resort to illegal water connections. She added that households did not have individual taps and that the communal taps installed in some parts of the area had run dry.
Sabelo Ndlovu said residents decided to picket because they had enough.
He said the City was aware of the situation, as he had sent several emails that were acknowledged but had not resulted in any action.
“The ward councillor is also frustrated because attempts to intervene have failed,” said Ndlovu.
The eThekwini Municipality acknowledged the ongoing water supply challenges affecting parts of the city, including Buffelsdraai, following an unexpected shutdown of a repaired pump at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works.
City spokesperson Senzelwa Mzila said, the pump which supplies raw water to the treatment plant, initially failed on October 5, resulting in a shortfall of approximately 50 million litres of water per day.
“The City’s bulk water provider, uMngeni-uThukela Water, reinstalled the pump, but it stopped operating again during testing on October 8. Technical teams are investigating the cause, and a timeline for the full restoration of supply has not yet been confirmed.” Mzila said.
The municipality said it was monitoring reservoir levels and urged residents to use water sparingly while repairs continued. It apologised for the inconvenience caused by reduced water supply.