Frustrated councillors delivered a scathing assessment of the city’s water department during last month’s Subcouncil 12 meeting, accusing officials of lying to residents while poor communication between departments leaves communities without water for days.
Ward 92 councillor Norman Adonis told water officials: “You guys are lying to us as politicians and to our communities.”
He highlighted a case where a resident now faces a R40 000 water bill due to departmental failures.
The councillors complained that each department blamed the other when problems arise while the process of getting help remained complicated despite a site visit to the water department.
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Subcouncil manager Solomon Philander joked that councillors needed to go to university to understand the water department’s complex structure, noting: “It’s retic, it’s water meters and it’s retic water meters. We still don’t know what’s happening in the department.”
Uthmaan Abrahams from explained that his department is subdivided into many branches, with different officials responsible for different aspects of the water system.
He reported that 28 of 43 outstanding cases had been completed, with 15 still open — 90-95% of which are with contractor ICAA.
While officials claim a 24-hour turnaround time for meter replacements, councillors disputed this timeframe.
Ward 72 councillor Avron Plaaitjies challenged: “When you tell me 24 hours, it’s unbelievable to me because I’ve not had a replacement within 24 hours for a very long time.”
Officials highlighted their use of mobility devices for faster communication, claiming responses within minutes when the network functions properly. However, they admitted to technology challenges affecting information flow 5 to 10% of the time.
The system still relies heavily on email correspondence between departments, with no direct telephonic communication channels for urgent matters.
Residents affected
Ward 82 councillor Washiela Harris painted a grim picture of her constituency, revealing: “In Ward 82, every week there’s not a week that goes by that there’s not five to seven meters that are leaking.”
She described the frustration of constantly having to “beg and plead” to get rebates for residents facing sky-high water bills due to unrepaired leaks.
Regional Manager Alicia Bosman acknowledged that residents often lack information about available write-off processes, noting: “Our residents would come to subcouncil and they would be told, no, you must pay the bill.”
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Councillors also raised serious health concerns, with one case involving water contamination fears due to pipe corrosion affecting small children in a household.
Officials acknowledged that such cases require investigation by the reticulation department but admitted the current system forces residents to visit walk-in centres to log complaints.
Centralisation is coming
In a key development, officials announced that from 1 December, meter management will take over responsibility for all stolen water meters, marking the first step toward centralising water meter services.
Abrahams confirmed: “Everything related to water meters, we will be taking over. That’s a small step of the issue that’s currently in all areas.”
However, he warned of potential challenges during the transition period as responsibilities shift from reticulation to meter management.
Adonis made clear his frustration with the current system. He cited cases where residents follow proper procedures but still face disconnection notices, particularly affecting pensioners who have applied for indigent grants.
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Philander emphasised that internal communication between departments remains the major issue, noting that while individual officials are responsive, the system fails when departments don’t coordinate effectively.
“You will blame the retic. The retic will blame water management, but we’re in the middle of things,” he told officials. The subcouncil resolved to request written explanations of how internal communication works between water departments to help councillors and residents navigate the system more effectively.
Philander closed by saying: “The internal communication is the major problem. It makes it sound as if the officials are not performing but if the internal communication is not working then we will have ongoing issues. The water department needs to be centralised.”
