Dundee was without water from around 6.30pm last night and the water is still off. While upper Dundee has had nightime cut offs from around 8pm to 7pm for the past month, this is the first time the entire town is off.

Parts of Glencoe are also without water.

The Courier has been inundated by calls – especially from residents in areas previously immune to water cuts – after their taps dried up.

Unofficial sources say the reservoir has completely dried up. Daily load shedding has knocked out the pumps at Tayside from where water is pumped from the Buffalo River. It takes time for the pumps to fire up again and start pumping following the two hour black outs.

There are no generators and it may take ‘up to 20 weeks to order a generator of that capacity’.

It is not clear why water is only being pumped from Donald Mchardy dam which is very low as farmers up stream have built on dams. The Tom Worthington dam in Hattingspruit is said to be about 55% full.

No water tankers have been seen in the town despite the blanket cuts