Residents have raised their concerns over water meter readings and are questioning their high water bills.
One such resident who resides in Evander has a property that had not been occupied for more than a year.
She questions the high bills she receives even though the property had not been occupied for a long period.
The resident raised her concerns when she moved into the house in November last year and went to inspect the water meter just outside her property line.
“Every month the readings are getting higher. I can not understand this as my water meter never gets read,” said the resident who wished to remain anonymous.
She also does not understand why the meters are not being read as they are outside residential property lines.
“The house I am now in has been standing empty for more than a year. The municipality has never come to do a reading here,” said the resident.
She could see that the meter has not been read for many months due to sand, twigs and leaves that covered the whole water meter.
She said her monthly bill just before moving into the unoccupied property was standing at R2 800 and after moving into the property in November her December bill was R3 800.
“I am at the point where I will even get someone to walk up the street every month and takedown meter readings if GMM is not going to do it,” said the resident.
She said all residents should pay for what they use and not have readings done on monthly estimates.
“The municipality should just come out every month like they are supposed to do and take proper readings. GMM should not just estimate from previous bills,” said the angry resident.
“I am paying for services and I expect them to be rendered,” said the resident.
Responding to the Ridge Times media queries on water meter readings, Donald Green, acting manager of communications for GMM said: “It must be noted that when the municipality cannot read meters due to not having access to the property, the municipality continues to estimate their readings according to the user’s history until they are given access to read meters on these properties.”
“As soon as consumers receive their statement and notice an error, they should visit the nearest municipal office and make a query,” said Green.
