Dry taps have become a daily frustration for residents of Johannesburg, a city haemorrhaging more than a third of its water supply, or an estimated 655 million litres (173 million gallons) a day, through burst pipes.
"I feel really broken," 17-year-old student Thandani Masangu said after spending three hours wheeling empty containers on a trolley through the peeling and trash-strewn urban neighbourhood of Hillbrow searching for water.
His block has had none for more than three years.
Masangu and his friend Raymond Maleka spotted a tank being refilled by a municipal water truck; a security guard told them there was only enough for residents of the adjacent tower-block.
As South Africa prepares for local elections expected by November, water shortages have become a symbol of municipal failures that have angered voters and eroded support for the ruling African National Congress.
