How accurate is the current billing of municipal accounts?
The City of Cape Town is generally regarded as the best municipality in the country. The incidence of certain basic deficiencies is therefore most disappointing.
How accurate is the current billing of municipal accounts?
More and more people are complaining of exorbitant increases in their monthly municipal accounts. This increase is due to ‘increased’ water usage, the detail of which appears on account statements. It is especially this detail which serves as an indication that these cannot easily be accepted at face value.
It is, for example, questionable how a house with five residents can suddenly use 9 000 litres more water per month. This increase, plus the usual average used, then remains the total average for every subsequent month.
This is therefore not a once-off, isolated occurrence. Whereas such problems started out as isolated incidents, it seems that these are now becoming a trend.
Failure to pay accounts while objecting to this irregular water billing then results in a total shutdown of water supply to the property concerned.
Are current water meters perhaps faulty, resulting in incorrect readings? If affected ratepayers do not even spot any water leakages - which could also possibly explain this sustained increase in water usage attributed to their property - the most probable cause seems to be underground leaks which ratepayers have not caused, and neither are responsible to fix.
How efficient is the city’s water management system and meters at detecting system problems such as leakage? How is smart technology used in this regard; to also ensure accurate meter readings?
It seems that the outsourcing of many services by the City of Cape Town municipality has negatively affected service delivery at various levels.
Officials handling ratepayers’ queries often send them from pillar to post, be it in person or telephonically. They often seem to be none the wiser.
At any level of service, there are indeed those who lack the necessary knowledge and skill in order to successfully address the presenting problem.
It is, however, expected of such officials to put ratepayers in touch with the relevant official at a higher level, who could assist them successfully. This means that they actually escalate the problem, rather than taking ratepayers “back to square one”.
Outlining the current process on a directional flow chart would indicate the presence of dysfunction and therewith the need for serious review. Will the municipality even compensate ratepayers where the City is found to be at fault?
* G.Contaldi, Tafelsig.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
The City of Cape Town’s billing system is 'sound and accurate'
The letter, “How accurate is the billing of municipal accounts in light of the current rash of exorbitant increases?” refers.
The City’s billing system is sound and accurate and is annually audited by the Auditor General’s (AG) office.
A sudden jump in usage is most often due to an undetected leak on the property. In terms of the Water By-law, residents are responsible for ensuring plumbing on their property does not run to waste, and are liable for the cost of water lost through the leak.
To assist residents who were not aware of this responsibility, the City has a one-time rebate for those whose accounts have been affected by an undetected leak. Residents can visit the City’s website for a straightforward guide on how to find and fix leaks on their property.
The possibility that meters may be faulty in a minority of cases is acknowledged, and the City has processes available for residents to have their meters tested if they suspect readings are incorrect. If meters are found to be faulty, the account will be adjusted based on historic consumption levels at the property. There is also a small possibility of human error in the meter reading process, and this can be easily queried and corrected.
Going forward, the City is continuing its journey to improve the water metering system to provide valuable information to customers in a timely manner which will enable customers to better manage their water consumption and avoid billing shocks, however customers will remain primarily responsible for identifying and fixing leaks on their property’s plumbing.
The new water metering ambition is envisaged to be rolled out over the next few years. This is in line with the second commitment of the water strategy, being “wise use of water” by improving customer engagement, supporting active citizenship, and managing the water network effectively to reduce losses and non-revenue water.
Please log your service requests or account queries using one of the following channels:
- E-services:
- Water-related queries : Email: [email protected]
- Call: 0860 103 089
- SMS: 31373
- The City’s contact offices
* Xanthea Limberg, Mayoral Committee Member for Water and Waste, City of Cape Town.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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