Cape Town may have dodged the Day Zero bullet, but some parts of the country have long been living with dry taps, their residents relying on water tanks and intermittent municipal supply.

The coastal town of Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape is one such area. The dire situation in the Ndlambe Municipality has hit Alexandria, Bathurst, Boknes, Bosmansriviersmond, Cannon Rocks and Kenton-on-Sea. Dam levels are low and the municipality blames the drought...