A dysfunctional water metre has caused major financial loss to an office complex in Pearce Crescent, Empangeni, with the managing agent convinced the City of uMhlathuze is overcharging them for usage.

Rioma Bignoux, managing agent for the body corporate, explained that their water meter stopped working in April 2024 and they notified the municipality.

“We have sent them numerous emails alerting them to our ordeal. Without a working water meter, they estimate the usage – and it has gone up dramatically.

“We have lodged complaint after complaint, but no one is doing anything about it.

“We hired our own plumber to check for water leaks in our building; he could not find any. We then installed our own water meter, as we are of the view that we are being overcharged,” she said.

Bignoux further explained that in May they were charged for 415 kilolitres of water, which was valued at R16 800.

“In June we were again charged about 376 kilolitres of water, which was R15 275.

“This is three times our water consumption because, according to our reading from our own water meter, we only used 130 kilolitres of last month,” she said.

City of uMhlathuze spokesperson Siboniso Makhanya said the municipality is aware of the matter and is in the process of rectifying the issue, but that it is complex and needs time.

“We assure them that the work is under way to get the matter resolved,” said Makhanya.

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