Joburg has deployed tankers across the city during the latest water crisis, leading to frustrations over access and availability. Informal settlements have been battling the failed water tanker system for years.

As Johannesburg's water crisis deepens, residents have been struggling to access tankers, which often don't meet demand and arrive intermittently, if at all. In Patsing, an informal settlement in Joburg South, this has been the reality for years.

"Water tanks were meant to ease the crisis, yet each delivery turns into a battlefield where neighbours fight for drops instead of finding relief," Patsing resident Lilian Rapotsane told Daily Maverick on Tuesday morning.

Patsing has no running water. Residents survive on JoJo tanks filled by water trucks.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

"The situation is still very bad here," said resident Mlindeli Siwela.

"It's an insult to the poor," said Easter Mofolo. "Every day, people fight for this water, and the city and government call that progress. Heartless, they deny the crisis even as it unfolds before their eyes. No matter how loudly you shout, they refuse to listen."

"The plastic tanks cannot be a substitute for running water," Mofolo said.

A significant number of communities across Joburg are now battling for access to water tankers, a struggle previously mostly confined to informal settlements, as the city's water crisis continues.

"As this crisis deepens, the way water tanks are being used is actively making things worse....