JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng officials say full water supply will return this weekend following Rand Water's planned maintenance, which began on 29 May.
But for many residents still battling dry taps, another concern over steep hikes on water bills still looms for them.
On paper, Johannesburg residents will face a 12.5% increase in water tariffs.
But water experts warn that the real increases could be higher once the water demand levy is considered.
READ | Joburg residents face steep hikes
According to WaterCAN’s Dr Ferrial Adams, the levy that households pay before using a drop of water will jump from R65.08 per month to R107.74 per month before tax
Once tax is added, the household will pay around R124 every month for this charge alone.
This is a fixed flat fee amount added to your utility bill by the municipality for simply being connected to the city’s water grid. It also has nothing to do with the amount of water one uses.
Adams argues that the levy applies to almost every residential connection.
- Conventional post-paid households
- Prepaid water meter users
- Flats and complexes
- Multi-dwelling properties
“For low- and middle-income households already struggling with rising electricity, transport and food costs, this creates another financial burden. Fixed charges are especially harmful because they punish people regardless of their efforts to conserve water,” said Adam.
Adams has now questioned transparency and raised concerns over money that is being ring-fenced for water infrastructure.
She said that while the city claims the levy is meant to cover costs of network costs and the base water installation over the lifespan of the meter, this is never clear
She said if one were to consider the demand management levy it could potentially bring in about R1.7 billion
“It is about the budget that Joburg Water needs in terms of their capital expenditure. But we can't find that on the budget items. We can't see the line item over the five years of where this demand management levy is and how it has been used.
“So, there's no transparency on that. And what we're saying is that we want better transparency,” she said.
Adams says that, should the levy go ahead, then that money should be ring-fenced entirely just for water and sanitation.
Rand Water’s maintenance plan has gone according to plan.
READ | Work on water supply infrastructure set for 29 May
The maintenance continued on 2 June, before a second phase began on 17 July.
The programme on the City of Johannesburg’s water network aims to improve the reliability and efficiency of the water supply system.
But Adams says the biggest issue lies beyond the network.
She said the system is fragile because half of the reservoirs are leaking.
“So I think that it's going to take another couple of days before people see water in their taps,” she said.