“We are just as upset about the municipality’s illegal water levy on service accounts of residents who do not use municipal water”.

This was FF Plus councillor Gerda Senekal’s reaction this past week about the Emfuleni Local Municipality’s (ELM) levy.

This applies especially to people with boreholes who are not registered with the municipality.

Senekal explains that a levy for 30kl is now placed on these household accounts, which means they have to pay R3 000 per month for water they do not use. Water consumption in Emfuleni is measured on a sliding scale: 0 to 10kl pays R25 per kilolitre; 10-20kl pays R35 per kilolitre; and 20 to 30kl pays R42 per kilolitre.

If residents do not pay this levy, their other services are cut off.

“This is ELM’s way of forcing residents to register their boreholes,” says Senekal.

The party is not opposed to the registration of boreholes as proposed by the water board, but expects the municipality to inform residents at least by circular about the conditions regarding boreholes.

Residents whose boreholes are registered do not pay a levy on water, but their sewerage tariff is increased.

“Currently, the levy is illegal and the FF Plus has already written a letter to the municipality to scrap the levy until the by-law on this is amended,” says Senekal.

“Residents cannot pay for water they do not use. This is extremely unfair”.

The FF Plus is also of the opinion that ELM should rather focus on using its money effectively, rather than further milking overtaxed residents.