Taps are running dry as major water outages continue in Verulam.
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Residents of Trenance Park in Verulam are raising serious concerns over a worsening water crisis that has left many households without a reliable supply for days.
Community leaders say long-standing weaknesses in the local water system - including ageing infrastructure, persistent leaks and reservoirs that have not been upgraded to accommodate population growth - have now resulted in a complete loss of supply for many residents.
Dhanashwar Basdew, Secretary of the Verulam Civic Association, said the situation had become critical for families across the community.
“Residents of Trenance Park are facing a severe and worsening water crisis that has placed extraordinary strain on households across the community,” Basdew said.
He explained that for years households located at higher elevations depended on a narrow supply window between 3am and 6am to collect water for daily needs.
“Over the past four days, even this limited supply has ceased entirely. Despite repeated requests, water tankers have not been deployed to the affected areas, leaving residents without the means to cook, bathe, maintain sanitation, or prepare children for school and adults for work,” he said.
Basdew added that the lack of communication from authorities had further compounded the crisis.
“Residents report receiving no clear, consistent, or timely updates regarding the causes of the interruptions, expected restoration timelines, or available relief measures. This lack of transparency has left families unable to plan their daily routines or access support, deepening frustration and eroding trust."
Another concern raised by residents is the issue of billing irregularities.
Basdew said many households received unusually high municipal water bills despite experiencing little or no water flow.
“Many fear that air passing through empty pipes during supply disruptions may be inflating meter readings and, in turn, consumption charges. For a low-income community such as Trenance Park, the combined impact of water shortages, communication failures and questionable billing practices is devastating.”
The community is now calling for transparent communication from municipal authorities, immediate relief measures such as reliable water tanker support, and a long-term infrastructure plan to upgrade the water system to meet current and future demand.
Residents were also informed that a budget allocated for upgrades had allegedly been redirected without consultation, which heightened concerns about the long-term management of the water supply.
Meanwhile, Roshan Lil-Ruthan, spokesperson and liaison for the Verulam Water Crisis Committee, said the community had not received official explanations for the disruptions.
“Unfortunately, we have no answers, let alone an update. However, my team members noticed yesterday morning that some earthworks are being done at the Mount View reservoir. It is highly probable that this is the cause,” Lil-Ruthan said.
He added that at least 12 roads in the New Phase area have been affected, along with Masitinie in Trenance Park’s Area 5.
“Many homes have been without water for three to five days already,” he said.
Frustrated residents say the impact of the crisis was being felt in every aspect of daily life.
Daniel Chettiar, a resident of Trenance Park, said water supply in some streets was unpredictable and often unavailable for days.
“We have water cuts in our area, and I am not talking about scheduled ones. I am talking about not getting water for days, and there is no water tanker to assist,” Chettiar said.
He explained that in their area, water sometimes arrived briefly in the early morning before disappearing again for days.
“We get water at least around 4am and it cuts around 8am, for only a few days in the week. The balance of the week, including weekends, there is nothing. Roads surrounding us get water, but we do not,” he said.
Chettiar said residents are often forced to travel to relatives’ homes to perform basic tasks.
“It is hard because when there is no water, we must commute to other families’ houses to do our simple daily tasks. Kids get woken up extra early to bathe, and elders have to walk with five-litre bottles to fill water for daily routines,” he said.
According to Chettiar, the problem had persisted for years without improvement.
“Currently we are sitting five days without water. Water came on Monday for about an hour, which really does not count. When we call the municipality, they do not know why and cannot give us answers. We understand water shedding, that is something we can work with, but no water for days, weeks and again every month is frustrating,” he said.
The eThekwini Municipality did not respond at the time of publishing.