Kou-Kamma Local Municipality says it needs R210-million to upgrade and maintain water and sanitation infrastructure.

Residents of Misgund say they struggle with an unreliable water supply, with households only getting water for an hour or two a day and sometimes going for days without it.

Misgund is a small rural community in the Langkloof, Eastern Cape. The region is known for its apple, pear and peach farming. The settlement is home to about 500 households, mainly RDP homes, and due to its proximity to farms many residents are current or former farmworkers.

Residents say getting enough water to meet their basic needs has become a daily struggle since 2011.

At Twinkle Twinkle Daycare, staff store water in containers for the children and carry buckets to flush the toilets when the taps run dry.

Crèche owner and principal Elize Berries said they cater for children aged four months to five years old.

"Every day we get water for about one hour. Some months there isn't water for several days. We've never had continuous running water," said Berries.

Water is needed throughout the day for drinking, preparing food, washing hands and flushing the toilets, she said.

Taps have water from about 5pm to 7pm, and sometimes for two or three hours over weekends, she said.

"Sometimes it's...