A water system upgrade for two KwaZulu-Natal towns has turned into a disaster.

Many frustrated Himeville residents have been without water since the beginning of October, while Underberg’s taps ran dry for two weeks.

Last month, the district municipality spent close to R10-million on a key water pump upgrade to cope with increased demand.

Harry Gwala District Municipality Water Services executive director, Dumisani Gqiba had initially anticipated that the switch from one system to another will be easier now.

However, it’s a disaster that has left residents without running water.

After two weeks, Underberg’s water supply was restored, but not Himeville’s because the current system (which is expected to be completely upgraded within the next year) feeds Himeville via Underberg.

According to eNCA, residents are accusing the municipality of not being transparent.

The head of water services acknowledges it has failed the community but insists every attempt has been made to rectify the situation. The municipality is promising to fully restore the water supply in the coming days.