Through a case study of the Umdoni Local Municipality the study assessed the claims made in the Ugu District Municipality 2008 Report that eMalangeni and eMahlongwa communities have achieved 100 percent water provision. Furthermore, the study used the Rostowrian‟s four of the five-stage model of development to interrogate whether water service provision has improved the standard of living of the people in these two communities. The findings of this study reveal that there is a positive correlation between the installation of water standpipes and an improvement of the standard of living, though it is spread unevenly in these areas. The study concludes that government departments such as the Departments of Water Affairs and Forestry, Agriculture and Rural Development and Land Reform should forge strong relationships aimed at assisting the UDM to achieve its prime objective of improving the quality of life of all who fall under its jurisdiction. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.