The City of Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Directorate provides registered indigent customers with a free water allocation of 15 000 litres (15 kl) per month. Residents are reminded to stay within this usage limit. Household limits exceeded for two consecutive months will receive a warning letter to reduce consumption.
The City supplies 15 kl of free water to about 230 225 property owners across Cape Town, who are registered and deemed indigent.
This includes the cost of sanitation services of up to 10 500 litres of sewage.
Residents are reminded that after two consecutive months of excessive usage, a warning letter will be delivered to the customer, to advise of imminent restriction if consumption is not adequately reduced.
On the fourth consecutive month, if there is no reduction in consumption, supply will be restricted. Restricted supply does not mean that there will be no water, but rather a low pressure, trickled supply will be available to the household.
To avoid any restrictions we encourage property owners to visit the nearest City of Cape Town Municipal Walk in centre to apply for an increase in water allowance if there are more than 10 occupants residing at the property or due to health reasons.
Indigent customers must also report if they have any private leaks that may be contributing to the increased usage.
The City will arrange the leak repair only if the property owner has never benefitted from the City’s Indigent Leak Repair programme before.
Another challenge is tampering and illegal reconnection of water.
The City is monitoring incidents closely and has so far investigated 1 855 suspected tampering cases related to both indigent and non-indigent customers.
Tampering sometimes occurs when the water supply to a property has been restricted due to monies owed, and the restriction is either unlawfully removed or a straight connection illegally installed. In other instances, water meters are tampered with in an effort to by-pass or reduce meter readings.
If tampering is suspected on an indigent resident’s property, the following process is effected: . A thorough investigation is done to confirm tampering with the meter or the water connection;. Photographs are taken as evidence (where possible);. The meter is removed for repair or replacement if it is found tampered with;. A notice of tampering is issued to the property owner;. A tampering fee of R5 000 is levied against the registered owner’s account.
