Emmarentia residents suspect they’re being charged for air instead of water

Residents of Emmarentia are facing alarming water billing discrepancies while enduring frequent supply cuts. With many suspecting they are being charged for air instead of water, the community is calling for urgent action and accountability from Johannesburg Water.

Waydon Jacobs

4 hours ago

The water meter cut off at resident, Shireen Mahomed's, home.

Residents of Emmarentia are grappling with significant water billing discrepancies as they endure frequent water supply cuts.

Vaughn Kelly, a long-time resident, reported that many in the community have experienced dramatic increases in their water bills despite no substantial change in actual water consumption.

He noted that his own water consumption, as recorded by Johannesburg Water (JW), has surged by over 100% in the past two months, a stark contrast to the previous ten months when consumption remained stable.

This spike could possibly be attributed to the daily water cuts which introduce air into the pipes, leading to faulty meter readings that inaccurately reflect air flow rather than actual water usage.

Residents have expressed frustration over the billing system, with many suspecting that they are being charged for air rather than water.

Kelly stated, “several residents have reported that due to the daily water cuts introducing air into the pipes, their JW meter is incorrectly recording the air flow and not only the actual water flowing through the pipes.”

Despite these concerns, JW has yet to rectify the billing issues.

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Kelly mentioned that he has been trying to resolve a separate billing fault logged in December 2023, but even after involving the City of Johannesburg ombudsman in February 2024, the matter remains unresolved.

“To date, JW is unable to provide evidence to substantiate their charges,” he added.

The water supply situation in Emmarentia has been dire, with residents experiencing daily water cuts from approximately 22:00 to 06:00. Many report that the water is often not restored by the scheduled time, severely disrupting daily life and hygiene.

The Hursthill 2 (HH2) reservoir, which serves over 23 000 residents in Emmarentia and surrounding suburbs, has been plagued by these cuts since September 2023, with no relief in sight.

Kelly noted that despite logging calls and emails, residents have yet to receive satisfactory answers, or a credible plan from JW regarding the ongoing issues.

Another resident, Shireen Mahomed, echoed these frustrations, revealing that her water bill skyrocketed to R20 000 in April, following a slow leak that began in March.

“Almost a month now without water, not due to any fault of ours, is a violation of human rights,” she stated, highlighting the severe impact of the water crisis on residents’ lives.

Currently Mahomed’s bill stands at R65 000, furthermore JW stated that they need to pay 30% and make arrangements to pay the rest, only then will they reconnect the water.

In a statement released by JW, senior manager for water demand management and technical metering Logan Munsamy said: “Operating concurrently with the city’s water restrictions, the Water Conservation and Water Demand Management (WCWDM) programme was implemented to ensure a continuous and sustainable water supply and to reduce strain on JW supply networks.”

He further commented on that there is a project aimed at fixing on-property leaks at residential homes as well as the rollout of the STS smart meters project, which will better manage and measure consumption and improve billing.

“This is done together with the replacement of customer meters and will at the same time address the challenge of illegal connections. All these projects aim to reduce physical losses and reduce non-revenue water losses.”