Water loss at R40m, higher rates loom
This could mean you might have to cough up a few more rands soon.
If 42 per cent of our local municipality’s water is lost, how does that impact the regular resident and ratepayer?
“There is talk within the municipality of charging residents more for water,” said Dennis Pretorius, Democratic Alliance in Mogale City’s financial spokesperson.
This could be implemented by the start of the next financial year at the end of June.
Pretorius explained the water losses Mogale City Local Municipality faces, along with the failing billing system, are the most pressing issue for the council. The high percentage of water losses results in about R40 million lost in one year.
“The biggest problem is the lack of proper management and preventative maintenance,” Pretorius said.
With aging water infrastructure causing major, and minor, leakages all over town, it is difficult to believe this is not the main reason the loss is so high. Many residents bypass water meters with external pipes. The water flowing through these pipes slip the eye of the municipality and the bypassers’ water bill, and the municipality is accounted for as a loss.
Pretorius explained that this is one of the reasons ratepayers could pay more than the normal annual increase on their water bill by mid year.
The population density of Krugersdorp and the greater Mogale City is growing and Pretorius is concerned the water storage capacity is too low and thinks another reservoir should be built.
“And if the municipality takes out a R20 million loan and fix half of the problems, we can still save more than we loose,” he said.
The municipality also provides water to informal settlements, but the right amount of water is not always captured correctly, Pretorius explained. The unaccounted water adds to the annual amount of water lost.
Read more:
• Water losses due to unknown major leak?
• War on water loss: Mogale has a plan
