Cape Town - The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday decried a 26.9 percent increase in water and sanitation tariffs planned for the Mother City.
In response to the budget announced by Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille on Wednesday, Chamber president Janine Myburgh warned the higher than inflation increases in services could see the City selling less water next year given people have been investing in water-saving equipment, grey water systems, boreholes and rain water tanks.
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“It will be just like electricity. The more expensive water becomes the more worthwhile it will be to exploit alternative water sources and the Council will lose out," said Myburgh.
She welcomes the R1.4 billion set aside for developing aquifers and upgrading treatment plants.
“This is a good thing. We have been calling for greater reuse of water for years but little was done and now we are paying for it," she said, adding that the previous steep annual increases in water tariffs should have been used for this purpose over the past 10 years.
Property rates were set to spike by 7.2 percent in July, electricity by 8.1 percent and refuse removal tariffs by 5.7 percent.