Municipalities face cut-off threat

THE government has threatened as a last resort to cut the supply of water to at least 30 municipalities with water debts running into billions of rand.

The Department of Water and Sanitation said yesterday it had a total outstanding water debt of R10.7-billion‚ with 73% of this outstanding for longer than 60 days.

Despite recovery efforts‚ debt levels continue to rise.

“This debt is owed by municipalities‚ despite legislation that obliges municipalities to pay for bulk services within 60 days of receiving the relevant invoice or statement‚” the department said.

The municipalities – which are yet to be named – will be cut off unless their debts are settled by December 8.

Efforts to recover the money included stakeholder consultations and taking legal action.

“These processes were initiated as early as two years ago and to this end six court judgments have been issued in favour of the department‚ 59 court summons’ have also been issued and another 121 municipalities are involved in legal collection processes. “Despite all these interventions‚ the water debt at municipal level continues to escalate‚” the department said.

The department said it was implementing a section of the National Water Act that allowed it to restrict or suspend the flow of water to defaulting municipalities.

“The department is simultaneously engaging the Treasury on invoking section 216(2) of the constitution to withhold equitable share of grant funding due to the persistent breach of the Municipal Finance Management Act.”