Douglasdale resident in R140 000 Johannesburg Water bill dispute
A local homeowner claims a faulty meter ran backwards, but municipal officials say consumption history shows no basis for an account adjustment.
A Douglasdale resident has been left with a R140 000 water bill she believes is incorrect, while Johannesburg Water maintains there is insufficient evidence to justify an adjustment.
Donna Linnell said the disputed bill, which she received in June 2024, covered 94 days between January 13 and April 15, reflecting a consumption of 1.747m litres (1 747kL).
Linnell claimed she noticed her meter running backwards and recorded video evidence of it in June 2024, leading to its replacement by Johannesburg Water on June 16, 2024.
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Despite lodging a dispute and making repeated enquiries, Linnell said the matter remains unresolved.
“I got a R140 000 water bill in 2024, absolutely no response from Johannesburg Water. I’ve fought it, I’ve been to multiple meetings, I have done everything.
“The meter, I’ve got video evidence of it running backwards and nobody will help me,” she claimed.
Unresolved billing issues
Linnell said the dispute has had wider financial consequences, as she has dealt with water-related damage and incurred legal costs while continuing monthly payments.
“Tell me about a home that can take on a R140 000 water debt and if you don’t pay it, they’re not interested, they disconnect,” she said.
Johannesburg Water said it had reviewed Linnell’s account and consumption history following her concerns about the high consumption recorded before the meter replacement.
Tshepang Thobye, accounting officer at Johannesburg Water, said, “Our investigation indicates that the consumption had already started decreasing before the meter was replaced on June 16, 2024,” said Thobye.
He added that the available consumption history showed the meter continued to register lower and stable readings after the replacement.
Also read: Johannesburg Water faces angry Douglasdale residents over water crisis
“This is consistent with the reduction that had already commenced before the meter change,” he said.
According to Thobye, the consumption analysis did not provide enough evidence to justify an adjustment.
“Based on the consumption analysis and the information available from our records, there is insufficient evidence to support an adjustment of the account,” he said.
“As a result, no billing adjustment can be approved at this stage.”
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