Moerse water bill ‘draining’
Issue: Auntie Wendy. Picture: Byron Lukas
A kwaad auntie from Delft has slammed the City of Cape Town after she received a moerse water bill of more than R30 000.
Wendy Carstens, 59, says she has no idea where the huge bill comes from as she has a low-consumption metre at her house in Voorbrug.
“I have not received a bill in years, then now all of a sudden I got one in October,” she explains. “At first I thought it was a joke. It is only me and my daughter and granddaughter that live in the house and we don’t use a lot of water.”
The mother of four says her blue water metre was installed in 2015 and her monthly bill usually comes to roughly R22, which she has dutifully paid over the years.
“At that time all my children were still living in the house with me and the water bill wasn’t so high because the 350 litres that we got was free,” she adds. “So you telling me the fewer people that live in the house the more you pay, it doesn’t make sense.”
Wendy tells the Daily Voice that she has been to the Civic Centre in the CBD on several occasions to seek assistance but she’s never successful.
“I don’t know where to go and who to turn to for help anymore, it is like no one can assist me,” she says. “I’m afraid they might cut my water because I don’t have R31 000, I receive a disability grant every month which covers the household things.”
Wendy says all she wants is for the City to investigate her massive water bill and point her in the right direction: “This whole thing is draining me.”
City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo confirms that the bill of R31 170.10 was correct because “consumption at the premises has increased from April 2022 until current”.
“The customer reported a faulty water metre on 25 October and on inspection, there was no fault found. Residents are encouraged to check for leaks or bring in a plumber to investigate.”