How much for water?

SEDGEFIELD - The owner of Lake Pleasant Holiday Resort in Sedgefield, Stuart Lidstone, has challenged the water rates his establishment has been charged rged by Knysna Municipality and has asked ked for a refund of excess charges levied.

Lidstone says the excess charges by y the municipality amounted to R10

000 and were levied on top of the resort’s normal water bill.

He disputed the necessity for the excess charge and has copied Western Cape Minister of Local Government Anton Bredell into his communications with Knysna Municipality. Lidstone said the reason given for the municipality’s action that Lake Pleasant was charged a 50% per kilolitre penalty was the result of the Akkerkloof Dam being under 60% capacity, due to machinery breakdown, possibly as a result of staff failures.

The kilolitre rate was based on a “pump to dam” and not a “flow to dam” rate. In support of his claim for a refund, Lidstone said, “We have attached the rainfall data from SAWS for the period 01 January to 31 July which shows that May, June and July had excellent rainfall. “We – Sedgefield – should not be penalised when machinery breaks down at the Akkerkloof Dam as are 25km westwards and Knysna Municipality draws Sedgefield’s 2,6-million litre daily water demand from a local river and boreholes.” He attached Lake Pleasant’s municipal account for July/August 2022 and 2023 for comparison. “Please note that in 2022/2023 the upper water charge tier was R35,334 p/kl. The current charges (2023/2024) upper tier is R57,78 p/kl. I have attached the Knysna municipal tariffs for 2023/2024 and under these a business should be paying a maximum R44,29, yet we are paying R57,78 p/kl,” he said. He added that Lake Pleasant is a tourism business and is unable to recoup the additional R10 000 expenses, “which occurred in the quieter winter period”.

Knysna Municipality was yet to respond at the time of going to print.