Douglasdale resident’s R140 000 water bill dispute drags on
Douglasdale resident says a disputed municipal water account continues to place severe financial pressure on her, despite repeated attempts to have the matter investigated.
More than two years after receiving a water bill of about R140 000, Donna Linnell says she is still searching for answers from Johannesburg Water.
Linnell received the bill in June for consumption recorded over 94 days, from January 13 to April 15. The account reflected 1 747 000L of water – equivalent to 1 747kL.
She disputes the consumption and says the matter became particularly concerning after she noticed her water meter running backwards. Linnell said she received a R140 000 water bill, but got no response from Johannesburg Water, even after attending multiple meetings to resolve it.
Read more: Douglasdale resident in R140 000 Johannesburg Water bill dispute
She says she recorded video footage of the meter and submitted it to the municipality. The meter was subsequently replaced by Johannesburg Water on June 16. Despite the replacement, Linnell says her attempts to resolve the account have continued, with complaints being logged and subsequently closed.
She said she has video evidence of the meter running backwards, but nobody will help her. The financial consequences, she said, have extended beyond the disputed account, with water-related incidents also resulting in additional costs and legal expenses. Linnell questioned how a household could absorb a R140 000 water debt, noting that the utility disconnects supply if payment is not made.
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She has raised the matter through various channels.
Johannesburg Water said it had reviewed Linnell’s account and consumption history following her concerns. Tshepang Thobye, accounting officer at Johannesburg Water, said the utility’s investigation found that consumption had already started decreasing before the meter was replaced. He added that the consumption history showed lower and stable readings after the replacement, which Johannesburg Water said was consistent with the reduction that had already begun before the meter change. “Based on the consumption analysis and the information available from our records, there is insufficient evidence to support an adjustment of the account,” Thobye said. “As a result, no billing adjustment can be approved at this stage.”
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