GROUNDUP: Joburg mom’s R2.6-million water bill reversed after meter confirmed as faulty

A faulty water meter turned a Johannesburg mother’s ordinary municipal bill into a liability of more than R2.9 million. After a Public Protector intervention, Johannesburg Water credited Jenny-Lee Bot more than R2.6 million and installed a replacement meter.

Bot’s bill rose from R1,334 in July 2023 to R454,192 the following month. Readings continued to fluctuate between 1,420 kilolitres and 5,965 kilolitres, compared with roughly 35 kilolitres a month for an average family of four. Her bills averaged about a quarter of a million rand each month.

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from pillar to post

Experts told GroundUp that the readings were plainly implausible. A house using that volume of water would show signs of flooding. Bot paid for a meter test, but the test did not take place. Instead, she said Johannesburg Water sent her “from pillar to post” for two years, while the municipality repeatedly disconnected her electricity and water.

In April, Johannesburg Water said the consumption could not be attributed to a fault in the municipal system and that the account did not qualify for an adjustment. It blamed the homeowner and demanded a 50% upfront payment before entering formal dispute resolution. “It is insane that such a huge mistake can put me in liquidation if I cannot find a remedy,” Bot said at the time.

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It is insane that such a huge mistake can put me in liquidation if I cannot find a remedy

Public Protector spokesperson Oupa Segalwe said the office investigated after Bot’s case came to its attention and mediated between her, Johannesburg Water and the Johannesburg Ombudsman. “The matter was ultimately resolved,” he said. Johannesburg Water later acknowledged that Bot had been billed incorrectly and processed a credit adjustment.

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The matter was ultimately resolved

During the mediation, Bot produced proof that she had paid for the test. The meter was then examined, and the results confirmed that its register was defective. Johannesburg Water spokesperson Nombuso Shabalala said the utility had never received Bot’s original test application. Bot said GroundUp’s reporting helped prevent her family from remaining in serious financial difficulty.

The dispute comes as Johannesburg Water faces broader revenue problems. Its latest annual report put non-revenue water at about 45%, equivalent to R3.8 billion in unbilled or lost water. The utility collected just under 75% of what it billed, well below the National Treasury norm of 95%.

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had been billed incorrectly