THE Eastern Cape coastal town of Hamburg has been without water for the last 40 days, despite water being pumped daily at 2,3 litres per second into its two brand new bulk supply reservoirs. The reservoirs hold 545 kilolitres of water and a third, scheduled for completion by Christmas, part of a R1,6 million upgrade of Hamburg’s water reticulation system, will hold another 100kl. The local town council has done nothing since residents first raised the matter on August 20, the day the taps ran dry, and Bisho is demanding why it wasn’t reported to its regional local government office so that emergency measures can be effected. Reservoir construction staff, however, report that council employees have not been fully trained in how to operate the system and many valves controlling the water flow have been switched off. Town clerk Zoyisile Kanzi could not be reached for comment.