Residents in parts of Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, are calling for urgent intervention as communities enter a 10th day without a reliable water supply.
Frustrated residents on Monday stormed the municipal offices, demanding answers and immediate action from the Newcastle Municipality.
The Newcastle Residents Forum says affected households have increasingly been forced to rely on community organisations and volunteers to deliver water.
Marlize Greyvenstein from Ward 2 says the ongoing crisis is placing additional pressure on vulnerable residents, with some forced to ration the little water they have while others travel long distances to find supplies.
Greyvenstein says community members, including the Muslim community and other organisations, have been assisting by delivering water to households.
She says municipal water tankers have also been deployed, but claims they are not reaching all affected streets.
According to Greyvenstein, elderly and sick residents are particularly struggling to collect water.
She says some families have contacted community representatives for assistance because they do not have enough water for basic needs, including bathing young children.
The municipality says additional contractors have been brought in to assist with work at the local pump station in an effort to restore a stable water supply.
It says one of the pumps is currently being repaired and that water supply will gradually improve as pressure is restored throughout the network.