One of the challenges in ensuring all people affected by the devastating flooding in KwaZulu-Natal received water, was some communities "hogging" the supply provided by tankers.

On Tuesday, Deputy Water and Sanitation Minister David Mahlobo told the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation that the flood caused "very extensive" damage to several supply systems, including water.

He said after Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu visited the affected areas, an "institutional mechanism" or water war room was established, comprising Umgeni Water, the provincial and national departments of water and sanitation, the eThekwini municipality, and the Department of Human Settlements.

Communities were due to receive water from tankers, but that process had faced obstacles, with many roads and bridges inaccessible. Another was where the water would come from.

Another challenge the department was looking to improve on, was the communication with community leaders.

Mahlobo explained the reason for this:

"Certain communities, when those tankers are coming in, they are taking matters in their own hands, blocking them, hogging them, hogging the water in such a way that it doesn't arrive at the other parts."

Mahlobo said the bulk water supply was starting to stabilise, albeit that a "number of issues" around pump stations remain.

The situation was exacerbated by the biggest wastewater treatment plants in KwaZulu-Natal not being functional, meaning it was not receiving effluent.

"And the effluent is going through various rivers in KwaZulu-Natal and going into the sea," said Mahlobo.

He said the plants had not been in a good state even before the province was hit by the flooding.

According to Mahlobo, teams were deployed for a clean-up operation to get the system functional.

Mahlobo reiterated what President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday night when he announced a national state of disaster - a provincial state of disaster would be inadequate to deal with the devastation.

"The damage has been too much. These rains have caused untold suffering," said Mahlobo.