Msunduzi’s big water headache

THE Msunduzi Municipality is losing about R40 million a year on water supply to the Vulindlela area, outside Pietermaritzburg, due to non-payment and illegal connections.

The municipality supplies between 20 000 and 35 000 homes with water and charges a flat rate of about R130 per month. It inherited the water scheme from Umgeni Water in 2014. The scheme has been plagued by numerous challenges, including constant and prolonged water supply disruptions.

Councillors in the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPACT) were briefed recently by the municipality’s infrastructure unit about the challenges of water revenue collection in the area.

A report showed that in the six months between May and October 2019, the municipality billed about R17.7m at an average flat rate of R130 and a total amount of R433 000 was paid, resulting in a collection rate of about 2%.

In other areas where they charge a flat rate, Imbali, Edendale, Hilton and Clare Ridge, the municipality had billed for R5.6m and was paid R3.2m, resulting in a collection rate of 59%.

Msunduzi mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla gave his administration three months to resolve water challenges and revenue collection in the area.

“In my budget speech I detailed that we have set aside money to do the meter audit. In the meanwhile, we will continue with the flat rate until we have done the meter audits,” he said.

DA councillor Bongumusa Nhlabathi said the municipality was supplying water to the area for free.

“What we know is that we supply 100% and we can only collect about 2% in revenue.

“One of the proposals put forward is that the municipality should hire meter readers who are ward based. We rejected that proposal.

“There are meters that are old and buried underground, there are many illegal connections where people see a meter and they just connect themselves. The municipality should first determine the extent of this, and then put together an infrastructure programme,” he said.

ACDP councillor Rienus Niemand said water meters in the area should be recommissioned.

“Ratepayers can no longer afford to subsidise non-payers who are not registered as indigent.”