Water leaks blamed for shock bills

THE City is adamant that water leaks are the main cause of the recent spate of sky-high municipal accounts.

Consumers are bracing themselves for even bigger bills as the new increased tariffs kick in.

Xanthea Limberg, the mayoral committee member for water and informal settlements, said Cape Town consumption information data was generally quite accurate, but leaks were a common cause of higher bills.

The Cape Argus reported on Friday of the shocking municipal accounts several ratepayers have received, with some owing the City in excess of R300 000.

“Leaks are a common reason for very high water bills. The current level 6 restriction tariffs also carry high costs for residents who use water excessively, or who fail to address plumbing faults/leaks on their property,” Limberg said.

She added that where residents received estimated bills, this was even more important as even a slow leak could drastically increase water consumption over the long term and result in significant debits to the resident’s account the next time an actual reading was taken.

“Another possible, but much less common, reason for a rocketing water bill is a faulty meter. If residents suspect their high bill may be due to a faulty meter, they can arrange for the meter to be tested,” she said.

Ratepayers can also expect higher accounts this month as the new tariffs for water, sanitation, electricity, refuse removal and property rates kick in.

“Much of the costs associated with operating the City’s water supply system, for instance repairs and maintenance programmes, exist even if water consumption is drastically reduced. One example is that even if less water is sold, the same number of meters need to be read and the City must continue with maintenance and repair programmes,” she said.