Pensioner battles City of Ekurhuleni over inflated water bill after leak

A Van Riebeeck Park Ext 4 resident, Philip Viljoen, is at the centre of an ongoing water bill dispute with the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE), a problem he said began after the municipality carried out trenching work outside his property earlier this year.

Shortly after the project, Viljoen noticed a water leak seeping into his yard.

On January 15, he reported the issue to the City after hiring a private plumber from Block-Aid Plumbing, who confirmed that the leak was not caused by any internal plumbing, but rather by damaged pipes outside his property.

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“I am a pensioner and I can’t pay this much money for water, especially when it isn’t my fault,” said Viljoen.

“My plumber explained that the leak was from the water meter and the line running from outside the yard into my property. I can’t afford to pay for water I didn’t use. They know it wasn’t my fault, so they must fix my account.”

According to the plumber’s report, the team dug near the water meter and discovered a leak. Further excavation revealed cracked and broken pipes along the main line connecting the water meter to Viljoen’s house.

The City later replaced the faulty water meter, but Viljoen claims he was never informed of the replacement and only discovered it by chance.

Despite the new meter, his account remained inflated, reflecting excessive water consumption from the period of the leak.

CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed that the meter had been replaced and that Viljoen’s account would be adjusted.

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“The water meter was changed on January 16 and replaced with a new one. A credit note for the leaking water meter will be implemented on Mr Viljoen’s account.

“The Finance Department will engage with him no later than October 17 to advise on the final adjustment and provide a copy of the revised statement,” Dlamini said.

Despite this assurance, Viljoen said his billing remained inconsistent. On May 13, he received a disconnection notice, informing him that his water and electricity supply had been restricted in line with council by-laws.Councillor Jean Kriek criticised the City’s handling of the case, calling it “an example of administrative chaos and indifference towards the elderly.”

“Despite the City’s earlier admission of fault, officials have once again victimised this resident, disconnecting his electricity less than 24 hours after issuing a pre-termination notice.

“Instead of fixing billing systems or taking responsibility, officials are bullying pensioners and deflecting accountability.

“Until there’s a proper overhaul of these mechanisms, ordinary citizens like Mr Viljoen will continue to suffer at the hands of a system that punishes honesty and rewards incompetence,” Kriek said.

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Viljoen has since received several follow-up notices demanding payment, including a pre-termination letter on September 26 and a disconnection notice on October 13.

Despite mounting pressure, he maintains that he will not pay for charges arising from a fault he believes was caused by the City.
“It’s not fair. I didn’t cause the leak, but I’m the one being punished,” said Viljoen.