JOHANNESBURG – On Monday morning, residents of Umtentwini, near Port Shepstone on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, stood in long queues to buy bottles of water after salt water flowed from their taps at home.

Salt water from the Indian Ocean contaminated the water supply from the Umzimkulu River over the weekend. This is due to the current drought, which has led to the province being declared a disaster area.

Video courtesy South Coast Herald.

Ugu district municipality spokesperson France Zama said the situation would continue until it rains and while residents should refrain from drinking the tapwater, it can be used for other purposes.

The drought has affected 2,7-million households in KZN, the Free State, the North West and Limpopo. Water restrictions were introduced to parts of Gauteng last week as low rainfall is expected over the next few months.

Dams are almost dry, and there are dams that have water, so we are working on storage capacity. Mokonyane — Water&Sanitation_RSA (@DWS_RSA) November 2, 2015

Zama said that due to the water levels in the Bhobhoyi dam being low, water had to be redirected from the Umzimkulu River to supply residents in Port Shepstone and Umtentweni.

“Water levels in the dam (have) dropped very low. On Saturday we had to redirect water from the Umzimkulu River but due to the slow flow, seawater pushed up through the river and reached the plant,” said Zama.

The river mouth was not open and the level of saltwater in the river reached a climax. On Monday morning sand was dredged from the river mouth to try to recirculate the river flow.

“Our team is (currently) on site. We want to try and extract the sand that’s been pushed up,” said Zama.

“This is costing millions. It’s an additional cost that we haven’t budgeted for,” he said.

Sand from the mouth of the Umzimkulu River near Port Shepstone is removed to clear the opening. Photo courtesy South Coast Herald.

“High-lying areas of Gamalakhe and Murchison will experience dry taps while our system is trying to stabilise as there is currently high demand being exerted on our system," Zama said.

In the meantime, the municipality is supplying water tanks to affected areas.

Zama said the municipality is hoping to get resources from the national government and the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs to cover the costs.

The Harbour View Super Spar in Port Shepstone has had long queues of customers since Sunday, said owner Graeme Milligan.

“We’ve brought in thousands of bottles and we are doing everything in our power, trying to get water for customers,” Milligan said.

Customers at Harbour View Super Spar in Port Shepstone buy large quantities of water. Photo courtesy Graeme Milligan.

The Spar has its own borehole water supply and Milligan said that his staff filled containers through the night.

“Luckily we have borehole water and it’s all treated,” said Milligan.

Aside from the devastating effects of the drought, Ugu district municipality is one of 27 district municipalities identified by the Department of Water and Sanitation as a priority area due to poor infrastructure and being unable to pay for water services.

A Google Map showing the district municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal which have been prioritised by the national government. These include: Ugu; Umgungundlovu; Uthukela; Umzinyathi; Amajuba; Zululand; Umkhanyakude; Uthungulu; iLembe and Harry Gwala.

The 2015 strategic overview of the water sector found only 66% of households in the country have a reliable water service.

The report states that South Africa is losing R7-billion a year due to 27 district municipalities being unable to pay for their water services.

14% of municipalities say they can’t afford to pay

28% of municipalities say they can’t pay because the meters are dysfunctional

The Ugu district&39;s problems stem from illegal connections to the main line, said Zama.

“We’ve introduced a by-law which is going to deal with illegal connections. There will be drastic actions and penalties,” said Zama.

Those who are found guilty of illegal connections will be fined. If they don’t comply it will be a criminal offence, he said.

Water Affairs and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has urged all residents to use water conservatively.