Water warriors right

IN HIS letter of January 3, Mr Winter asks two questions of the “moaners” who object to paying the drought levy.

Mr Winter, the answer to your first question is that of course nobody wants their tap to run dry.

The answer to your second question is that it is highly likely that the “moaners” can afford to pay water bills from November 2016.

However, your second question should have asked whether it is equitable to penalise the water warriors (“moaners”) who in November 2017 have reduced their water usage by at least 50% compared with November 2016 and are using less than 50 litres per person per day?

Mr Winter, it is these water warriors who are quite rightly moaning about the equity of levying a fee based on property valuation and not on water usage. Many of these water warriors have already spent thousands of rands installing systems to reduce reliance on potable water.

To penalise residents based on property valuations notwithstanding their water usage is flawed logic and it’s no wonder sensible Capetonians are “moaning”.

The drought levy should be an excess usage penalty on the frivolous and selfish water users who are wasting water no matter what their property valuation might be.

Yes, Mr Winter, the council deserves credit for doing its best under the circumstances but leave the water warriors alone to continue saving water by any possible means and go after the selfish water wasters.

P Barnard Rondebosch