GEORGE NEWS - A local business owner in the hospitality industry is up in arms because the water consumption at the homes of two domestic workers living in Thembalethu and Parkdene is neither metered nor billed by the George Municipality.
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, says as requested by the municipality in terms of the water restrictions, her establishment is going to great lengths to cut water consumption by 15%.
"When I hear from my domestic workers that some do not even have water meters on their properties in Thembalethu, I get highly upset.
"The worker lives in an informal settlement and is on the waiting list for a government house. She has free water available at her property and even uses a washing machine."
She says another of her employees lives in a brick house in Parkdene where there is a water meter on the property.
"Her family signed a contract with the municipality last year to pay off an outstanding amount for water and utilities, but this debt was eventually written off.
"This same family is again owing a few thousand rand to the municipality. In certain areas one's water is cut off if an account is in arrears. Why are other people allowed to run up such high accounts, and then it is eventually written off?
"Our municipality is going to go bankrupt if this continues. We all have to save water, but it is apparent that some people have no idea that it is necessary to curb their water usage.
"Surely everyone in drought-stricken areas should be held accountable for water wastage and should pay penalties if their limits are exceeded?"
Responding to the complaint, George Municipal Manager Trevor Botha said that water management in poor communities has unique challenges.
All registered residential water users in the George municipal area receive the first six kilolitres of municipal water free of charge, which is linked to the constitutional right to have access to drinking water, and is also the reason why water supply to households may not be cut off entirely where people are legally occupying property.
Bad debt
According to Botha, R18,9-million in bad debt was written off on municipal services for the 2016/2017 financial year, of which R8,6-million was for water services.
"The bulk of these bad arrears emanate from the traditionally poor communities in the George municipal area."
He said this is done because the municipality has a responsibility to provide services to all its citizens.
Municipal policy determines that services debt is written off when a household earns a combined income of less than R4 000 per month, or when debt is uneconomical to collect or in the case of insolvency of the debtor whose estate has insufficient funds.
The debt written off must be approved by Council.
He said the municipality is taking different approaches to reduce water consumption in poor communities, where different factors play a role, including leaks and pipe damage because of vandalism and theft, households' inability to pay, and a lack of awareness regarding the need to conserve water.
"Efforts to address these include the planned installation of smart meters, the appointment of additional plumbing contractors, and ongoing awareness campaigns.
Smart water meters, which can monitor and restrict water consumption, are planned for homes that are not registered as indigent, but repeatedly default on payment."
Strategically placed taps
Water is currently being supplied to informal areas by taps at strategic points. Each tap services five households and is measured by a bulk meter. The consumption is monitored, but not billed to consumers.
"Smart meters will eventually be installed at all indigent households and any households that may be identified as not having meters.
"Advantages of smart meters include water flow management, remote meter reading and identification of water wastage.
"The illegal use of water is easily picked up through data cleansing exercises and will ultimately be metered and those households' consumption managed."
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