When water billing is left to Hillcrest Ethekweni

During Lockdown The municipality ceased sending out statements. When Lockdown lifted i went into the Hillcrest branch to get my statement to find my 25/3/2020 water charge was R87528.98 . I went in to see Minenhle Mkhize , 01 July 2020 to investigate the reason and according to her the meter of which I provided a picture BFR902 the meter that has always been on site was different from the billing meter CGZ614. An inspector would have to be sent out to verify. After several follow up emails and no reported progress I visited the municipality again on 10/11/2020 and was told:

Your meter hadn't been read since 2016. All along you were being charged on estimates. When they finally read your meter in March 2020, you were credited all the estimations during that period and then actual charged for all those times as now there was an actual reading on the system.

I asked why the Inspector had not been out to confirm my meter was different and she referred me to her Supervisor Nompilo Mnyadi who referred my query to Zenzele Thabethe .

After this meeting I sent this email to Roslyn Bengtson at durban Water

On the 14/7 Minenhle Mkhize said: ( see email below)

The meter we have on the system is different from the meter you are sending so I will send to the relevant staff to investigate

Yesterday 10/11/2020 when I went in to follow up her supervisor Nompilo Mnyadi told me she will send the relevant staff to investigate the difference in meter number by Friday 13/11/2020

They were insistent that I am responsible to inform the municipality if my meter is Not Read for 3 months

If they still have not read my meter in the 5 months after I have had this query I am not sure if it will ever be read.

After this email I had progress:

Finally on 13/11/2020 the INNOCENT MBUSO arrived and confirmed my meter was BFR902. Please note on my Inspection meter on site=BFR 902 reading 3176

Since then I have followed up with Zenzele every week via phone and email.

After Numerous visits to the office to see Minenhle and Nompilo I have established the following:

1) The Municipality has only charged me water based on estimates since I moved into 9 Inyoni drive on the 19/3/2016. 2) On the 02/03/2020 the Municipality charged me for 2890kl (assuming a 0 opening meter) and reversed estimates resulting in a water charge of R87528.98 3) I had an opening balance on Meter BFR 902 on 19/3/2016 when I moved into 9 Inyoni Drive. The meter has always been the same as far as I can tell see attached picture from 7-6-2017. My records show the opening balance was 0422.7363 when I moved in on 19/3/2016 unfortunately I haven’t found the picture to verify this. 4) The Municipality had the wrong meter linked to my account CGZ614 (wrong meter) 5) An Inspector came out on 13/11/2020 Inspection meter on site=BFR 902 reading 3176 4) Zwakele Zulu confirmed on the 21/1/2021 that the old meter BFR 902 is now re-instated 5) The Municipality stopped charging me for water since June 2020 for some reason

Please can you assist in getting the charges adjusted and corrected at March 2020 as I believe they have overcharged me by at least the 423KL opening balance maybe more given the fact that these KL would be charged at the highest rate

Please can you reinstate my charges so I am getting billed monthly for my correct usage (28-32KL) so I can budget for the correct amount going forward.

last week I received my first charge for water and now I am being changed for 2 meters both BFR902 the meter that has always been on site and the billing meter CGZ614.

I now have to Pay Oyez consulting R3335 to try and assist resolving this matter because Hillcrest water is simply not able to help or it would seem willing.