Taps may be running dry as dams empty, but if this was not enough for beleaguered residents, the Nelson Mandela Bay council has now decided to introduce even harsher punitive water tariffs from July 1.
The decision to raise the tariff from Part C to D comes just days after the council agreed to an annual water increase of 5%.
The ANC and DA voted in support of the increased punitive water tariff on Tuesday.
The remaining parties, including the ACDP, AIC, UDM, EFF and GOOD, argued the municipality needed to sort out its billing issues and repair water leaks before hiking the tariff.
The move also means residents who use more than 9kl a month will be charged on punitive tariff D.
The tariff also applies to government departments and commercial and industrial users.
The new restrictions come with a host of conditions, including supplying managing agents of apartments and complexes with restrictor disks free of charge.
The water pressure in the reticulation system will also be reduced to 0.5 bar at critical points in all pressure management zones.
Car washes that fail to prove they are recycling 80% of the water will be forced to shut down.
With Part D kicking in on July 1, residents will have to cough up R22 for using up to 0.3kl a day, with the next 0.3 to 0.5kl a day costing R35.
The next 0.5 to 0.8kl a day will cost R100. This will be followed by R150 for 0.8 to 1kl a day.
From there, the prices skyrocket, with R500 being charged for the next 1kl to 1.6kl a day.
Any additional kilolitres will be charged at R1,000.
Before Tuesday’s meeting, calls had been made for the tariff to be relaxed as it had a negative effect on the city’s debtors book, which stands at a whopping R9bn and counting.
Chief financial officer Selwyn Thys also previously warned that a steeper tariff could lead to the municipality’s collection rate dipping to 57% by the end of the year.
The city’s collection rate is now about 79%.
The figure has also rung alarm bells with the National Treasury and Nedbank.
A collection rate of about 85% is among Nedbank’s conditions for its R750m loan meant for infrastructure and water projects in the metro.
The debate, which lasted just under two hours, saw tempers flare as councillors shouted and hurled insults at each other.
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said the move to hike the tariff would punish all residents and not just the water wasters.
“The punitive tariff is definitely not working,” he said.
“We can’t run away from our 30% physical water losses.
“This means that even if we save and close the taps, the leaks are still running out in streams of water.”
He said the debtors book was proof that residents could not afford the punitive tariff.
DA councillor Dries van der Westhuizen said it was unfair that 60% of residents had water, while 40% of the city had to go without.
However, he said he supported the tariff hike.
“While we are in support of this we also believe it is unfair for 60% of residents to have water while 40% do not,” he said.
“We need to look at repairing our pumps so that there is a fair distribution of water.”
He said a similar move had been used in Cape Town.
But ANC councillor Makhi Feni interjected, saying the city’s situation could not be compared with the drought in Cape Town.
AIC councillor Thsonono Buyeye called for the matter to be deferred and discussed later.
“We must focus our attention on how we are going to deal with the arrears debt,” Buyeye said.
FF+ councillor Bill Harrington said: “The FF Plus is not in support of an increase of the proposed and accepted water tariffs that all users including residential, institutional and industrial users move to Part D when they use more than 9kl per day because the metro has no control over the water leaks and/or what was fixed.”
DOP councillor and budget and treasury head Tukela Zumani said his committee had received several reports which advised against hiking the tariff.
EFF councillor Khanya Ngqisha also said they would not support the move.
“We reject on the basis that it’s a blanket approach that will affect the poor who are trying to make a living.
“The municipality must fix its own house first and then focus on the rich for punitive water tariffs and not have a blanket approach,” Ngqisha said.
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