Residents need an explanation for sky-high water bills

The inhabitants of a privately-owned St Albans property are questioning an astronomical water bill which ballooned from R650 to a staggering R145,000 within a year, despite not having running water for the past two years. Pictured here: Clive Bushby at the water meter on the property where his in laws stay.
The inhabitants of a privately-owned St Albans property are questioning an astronomical water bill which ballooned from R650 to a staggering R145,000 within a year, despite not having running water for the past two years. Pictured here: Clive Bushby at the water meter on the property where his in laws stay.
Image: Werner Hills

The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality’s billing system is back in the spotlight, with Colchester residents being billed for air rather than water.

Several residents were left reeling in December after receiving exorbitant water bills, despite frequent water outages which left taps dry for weeks

Adding to their frustration is that when they try to query their astronomical bills they are sent from pillar to post.

The problem of high water charges has been attributed to inadequate “bleeding” of the system — the process of removing trapped air from pipes — after repairs.

This air then flows through meters when taps are opened. 

For some, these issues are not new. They have been grappling with billing discrepancies for months if not years.

This issue, compounded by the town’s chronic infrastructure problems and ongoing leaks, has created an untenable situation.

Business owners like Maggie Mann have reported inexplicable charges of more than R50,000 for a single month — an amount that far exceeds their typical consumption.

“I almost died when I got the account, and then there are people who have bills for R450,000,” she said.

“Once you turn on your tap when the water comes back on, it just makes a screeching sound and runs up the reading for thousands of litres.

The Bay’s budget and treasury political head, Khanya Ngqisha, has promised a comprehensive investigation, with hopes of presenting a consolidated report to the council.

“We are investigating cases in Zwide as well as Colchester.”

The investigation is good news for residents.

But it needs to be done quickly as no-one likes having a huge amount of debt charged to them.

We know no system is perfect, which is why it is crucial for officials overseeing the billing process to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying and addressing potential issues to prevent them from becoming commonplace.

While residents should settle their accounts, particularly if they have the means to do so, it is unreasonable to expect anyone to pay exorbitant bills without a justified explanation from the city.

The Herald


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