Clr Haseena Ismail (Ward 29) said: “We agree with the restrictions, but how can they give 25kl (25 000l) as a maximum per household? What if there are three households or a large family living on one property, with one water meter?”
According to Clr Malanie Haggard (Ward 28) billing is a “big problem”.
“I’ve had several calls from people who don’t use any municipal water, they are completely off the grid, but they received bills for hundreds of rand,” she said.
Clr Tiisetso Nketle, member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for water and sanitation, was recently asked several questions regarding water meters and the current water restrictions in Ekurhuleni.
Several questions were previously answered by Themba Gadebe, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (EMM) spokesperson.
BCT: How many water meters are there in Benoni and how many of these properties receive bills based on estimates (interim readings), instead of actual readings?
EMM: There are a total of 77 500 water meters in Benoni. Estimates are taken at 4 728 of those meters and, of these, 1 608 are not read at all. Meters are not being read because of maintenance or access problems.
BCT: How are estimates calculated?
EMM: Estimates are calculated on the average of three months’ consumption, or over a period that will accommodate the different tariffs of different seasons.
BCT: How will the limits be applied to properties where estimates (interim readings) are given instead of direct readings?
EMM: The finance department of Ekurhuleni will not impose the tariff increases on those where estimates were taken instead of direct readings.
People must also check their water meter readings and bills, and go to municipal customer care centres to indicate the disparities, if there are any.
If an inaccurate estimate was taken, the money overcharged will be deducted from the next bill.
BCT: Is it fair that all households are expected to limit their monthly water usage to 25kl, regardless of how many people live on the property?
EMM: When there are tenants or a large family on a property with a single water meter, the maximum of 25kl per month will still apply.
We could not go to every household and work out a different limit for them, it had to be imposed across the city.
We decided that all reasonable households should be able to limit their monthly consumption to 25kl.
BCT: What about properties where the space is divided between several tenants?
EMM: If it is a flat building, where space is formally rented, they will be regarded as a business. Thus the limit of 25kl per month will not apply to the property, only the requirement to save 15 per cent of the average consumption, based on the previous 12 months.
The 25kl maximum applies to households only, while the requirement to save 15 per cent of average consumption applies only to all other properties, including business.
Clr André du Plessis (Ward 23) said: “The metro has to jack up their billing system and eliminate interim readings.”
“Meters are often installed by incompetent technicians, causing them to leak easily.”
Nketle said the metro has a programme to replace Ekurhuleni’s old water meters with more reliable and accurate models.
Also read:
Metro plans to reduce leaks by replacing old piping
Water reservoirs reach crisis levels
Council finalises water usage limits
Councillor upset by workmanship on water pipes
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