Outrage over water fines

Residents on the Dolphin Coast are outraged at Sembcorp Siza Water and are sharpening their legal knowledge and organising emergency meetings to try and make sense of the hefty fines that have been dished out this month.

Fines as high as R30 000 have been included in monthly accounts for high water usage, while residents protest that they have been apparently going to great lengths to reduce water consumption.

Water that we do not have, with Hazelmere Dam sitting at 27%.

On the Courier’s Facebook page, Valerie Widmann said her pensioner parents received a R2631 fine when their actual water consumption was R117.

“How much less than that do they expect people to use? They had already been using less water because of the monthly cost,” said Widmann.

Marlene Retief supported Widmann and said she was fined R2631 for a water bill of R217.

Sembcorp Siza Water managing director Shyam Misra said fines have been issued as they have previously advertised, but only if the consumer has not reduced consumption.

Yet residents are fuming as they claim they have reduced their water usage in every way possible and are wondering how much more Sembcorp Siza Water is expecting.

Misra said they have aggressively marketed the water shortage and this has yielded limited results.

“The fines that were issued were based on a target of achieving a 30% savings. According to our records there has only been an average savings of 15% in consumption. Those that have reduced adequately will not receive a fine,” said Misra.

He said this is why mandatory shutdowns were implemented to force people to save more water.

Misra said the fines are issued in terms of the Water Services bylaws for Ilembe District Municipality. The fines are calculated according to the consumer’s average consumption from July to September 2014.

The bylaws state that the municipality can determine restrictions on the quantity of water that may be consumed over a specific period to conserve water and impose fines for overuse.

It also says that the municipality can restrict or shut off if the bylaws are ignored.

Misra said the billing system has been programmed to automatically implement the fines.

“The fine in terms of the bylaw can be R5 000, however we have reduced it to R3 000 per household.”

He said the consumer’s reduction must be equal to 30% savings or more.

“If some savings are achieved then only a portion of the shortfall is fined. If a consumer achieved 20% savings then they are only fined R1 000.”

Those who have received fines may appeal. The forms are available from the company’s website.

Former Dolphin Coast councillor Feisal Dawood received a fine of R30 000 for a building he owns in Shakaskraal, and intends appealing.

With regards to larger households struggling to reduce their consumption even further, Misra said families should state this on the appeal form with the appropriate supporting documentation.

The money from the fines would be used to fund the drought costs, the drilling of boreholes and building the recycling plant.

• The Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association holding a public meeting to address the water situation on Wednesday, July 8, at 6pm at the Simbithi Country Club. Shyam Misra from Sembcorp Siza Water, an Ilembe municipal representative and Cllr Colin Marsh will answer questions.