The City of Johannesburg is urging residents, particularly customers experiencing unexpectedly high water bills, to regularly monitor their water consumption and check their properties for possible leaks.
The warning comes as concerns continue to be raised by customers over unusually high or unexplained municipal water bills. While a high account can result from various factors, the City says customers can play an important role in identifying possible problems early by monitoring their consumption, checking their water meters and investigating sudden increases in usage.
For residents in Lenasia South, where concerns around water supply and high municipal bills have been raised, regularly checking consumption can help identify possible leaks or unusual usage before the problem escalates.
A sudden or unexplained increase in consumption may indicate a leak, increased water usage or another issue requiring investigation. Early detection and prompt action can help reduce unnecessary water losses and prevent municipal accounts from increasing further.
How to check for possible water leaks
Check whether your water meter continues to move
Residents should turn off all taps, appliances and other water outlets on their properties and ensure that no water is being used. They should then check their water meter.
If the meter continues to register consumption while no water is being used, this may indicate a leak somewhere on the property.
Report municipal-side leaks immediately
Leaks occurring on the municipal water meter or municipal infrastructure outside the property boundary should be reported to the City as soon as possible for investigation and repair.
Prompt reporting can assist the City in reducing water losses while allowing the relevant technical teams to attend to the problem.
Repair internal leaks promptly
Leaks occurring within the property boundary are generally the responsibility of the property owner. Residents should appoint a qualified plumber to investigate and repair suspected internal leaks without delay.
Customers should also be aware that water lost through an internal leak can still pass through the meter and be recorded as consumption. This can result in a significantly higher municipal account.
What to do if you suspect a faulty meter
Customers who believe their analogue water meter may be faulty can request a meter test through the relevant customer service process.
The applicable testing fee is payable when the request is lodged. Where testing confirms that the meter is faulty, the matter will be dealt with in accordance with the City’s applicable meter-testing and billing processes.
However, where the meter is found to be functioning correctly, the testing fee will not be refunded and the customer remains liable for consumption correctly recorded by the meter.
Monitor your water consumption
The City is also encouraging customers to compare their current meter reading and consumption with previous months.
Significant or unexplained increases should be investigated as soon as possible. Customers are encouraged to take regular photographs of their water meters showing the reading and date. This can provide a useful record when investigating unusual consumption or lodging a billing query.
Residents should also check their monthly municipal accounts to establish whether their water consumption is based on an actual or estimated meter reading.
Where an estimated reading appears inconsistent with the actual meter reading or the property’s normal consumption pattern, customers should submit their current meter reading and lodge a billing query through the City’s customer service channels.
Who is responsible for the leak?
The City reminds customers that responsibility for water infrastructure generally depends on where the leak occurs.
A leak within the property boundary is generally the responsibility of the property owner and should be investigated and repaired by a qualified plumber.
A leak on the municipal water meter or municipal infrastructure outside the property boundary should be reported to the City for investigation and repair.
Customers should therefore establish, where possible, the location of a suspected leak before lodging a service request.
High water bill following an internal leak
Residents who have received a high municipal account following an internal leak and are unable to settle the amount immediately are encouraged to approach their nearest Customer Service Centre as early as possible.
Depending on the customer’s individual circumstances and applicable requirements, assistance may include entering into an Acknowledgement of Debt (AOD) payment arrangement.
Customers who meet the applicable qualifying criteria may also be guided on available Debt Relief Programme options.
However, repairing an internal leak does not automatically cancel consumption that has already been recorded on the municipal account. Any billing dispute or request for an adjustment will be considered in accordance with the City’s applicable policies and processes.
Lenasia South residents can access Region G services
For residents in Lenasia South, the City’s Region G Customer Service Centre in Lenasia is among the service points available to customers dealing with account-related matters.
Customers may also visit Regional Customer Service Centres across Johannesburg, including:
- Region A: Midrand
- Region B: Randburg
- Region C: Roodepoort (City Hall)
- Region D: Jabulani
- Region E: Sandton
- Region F: Thuso House
- Region G: Lenasia
The City also operates satellite Customer Service Centres and payment points across its regions to improve accessibility and convenience.
Customers can use these service points to seek assistance with account-related enquiries, billing queries and other municipal customer service matters.
Regional customer service email channels
Customers may also direct account-related enquiries to the relevant regional email addresses provided by the City.
For Lenasia South residents, using the Region G customer service channel can provide another avenue to raise account-related concerns and follow up on municipal billing matters.
