EDITOR – Meeting the enforced reduction in water usage of 15 per cent across the board is fraught with difficulties and, to be realistic, is grossly unfair and little more than window dressing for the municipality.
A suppressor valve does little more than reduce the rate of flow and can have no effect on the quantity of water used.
A household with a large number of occupants will naturally use more water than a smaller one and that additional demand will be due to differing reasons for a household with young children, or one with teenagers or older people. All introduce varying degrees of operational difficulty to achieve any saving.
A household with just two people will no doubt manage but if, for example, the demand, prior to restrictors being fitted, was say 14 kilolitres a month, they will now be expected to manage on less than 12. This in itself is not an impossible task, if they are not in any hurry, but then there is the question of whether the first nine kilolitres are free or not, which introduces another unfair differential.
If now we consider a situation where a 15 per cent reduction is achieved, it will mean a reduction in income to the municipality considerably greater than 15 per cent. If this financial loss is counteracted by an increase in the water charges, then once again it means that load will be unfairly spread between ratepayers, those getting a free allocation and those paying nothing at all.
Against this is the claim, steeped in mystery, as to just how much of the water available is lost due to either general wastage by those not paying for their water, or due to a substandard maintenance of municipal pipes or the distribution system in general. Published literature suggests that this aspect of water loss is very significant indeed. It would be an excellent public relations effort if the municipality would publish, at regular intervals, their figures on estimated water loss and the success achieved in that period in reducing the losses; in essence, the municipalities publishing their own contribution to minimising water loss and the consequent containment of costs.
Reg Hunn
Gillitts
