Waking up at dawn to try and beat long queues to fetch water will soon be a thing of the past for residents of Pienaarspoort informal settlement in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria.

A Pretoria-based company has donated eight 5,000l water tanks following a story Sowetan published, highlighting the community's plight.

This was after a man posing as an employee from the department of water and sanitation told residents to build water tank stands as the department had allegedly planned to provide them with tanks.

Residents forked out money but the man then disappeared into thin air.

The department said it did not know him.

Thanks to Eco Tanks, residents will now have better access to water.

"I was so touched when I read the story in the Sowetan. I could not believe there are people out there who still go without the basic need of free water in our country; it is so sad because water is life," Marius Wannenburg, Eco Tank's regional sales manager, said.

Community leader Freddy Mosese said they were grateful for the gift from the company.

"I'm very happy and don't have words to explain the excitement. I would like to thank Eco Tanks for the donation and I wish God could bless them to continue to do good things to other communities," Mosese said.

Resident Rosina Sebakwa said: "I will no longer have to wake up at dawn to get water after walking a long distance. I will save my money to buy the basic needs for my family.