COJ water consumption issue

[NeedAChange]

Should COJ be billing a complex on a sliding scale for water in a sectional title such as a flat or complex? They are currently doing this and it puts the water bill very high as there are many flats/apartments which will push the bulk of the usage to the highest sliding scale rate.

Tried calling the call centre and going in to the walk in centre to resolve but no luck. Anyone have success with a dispute like this? Please advise if you have a contact person or suggestions on how to overcome this. No one else in the body corporate is interested.

 

[ThatGuy_ZA]

I live in a sectional title complex with 21 units but one municipal water meter.

We receive one water/sanitation bill per month from the City of CT that is billed as the sum of 21 households, with each "household" being billed the average usage (total usage for the period/21 units).

I hope this explanation makes sense.

 

[NeedAChange]

Thanks @ThatGuy_ZA
Yes I agree and am happy with your explanation my issue is with the sliding scale billing. An example:
20 Unit each using 25Kilolitres a month
That equals to 500KL for the complex.

The sliding scale is for instance R5 per KL for the first 100 = R500
R10 for the next 100KL = R1000
R20 per KL between 200KL and 300KL = R2000
R30 per KL for anything above = R6000

So the total is R500 + R1000 + R2000 + R6000

As you can imagine the highest tier which comes to R6000 is troubling me as I dont think it is fair to have a sliding scale in a multiple dwelling environment.

 

[Lupus]

Thanks @ThatGuy_ZA
Yes I agree and am happy with your explanation my issue is with the sliding scale billing. An example:
20 Unit each using 25Kilolitres a month
That equals to 500KL for the complex.

The sliding scale is for instance R5 per KL for the first 100 = R500
R10 for the next 100KL = R1000
R20 per KL between 200KL and 300KL = R2000
R30 per KL for anything above = R6000

So the total is R500 + R1000 + R2000 + R6000

As you can imagine the highest tier which comes to R6000 is troubling me as I dont think it is fair to have a sliding scale in a multiple dwelling environment.

That doesn't look like a residential scale.

 

[piet70]

Thanks @ThatGuy_ZA
Yes I agree and am happy with your explanation my issue is with the sliding scale billing. An example:
20 Unit each using 25Kilolitres a month
That equals to 500KL for the complex.

The sliding scale is for instance R5 per KL for the first 100 = R500
R10 for the next 100KL = R1000
R20 per KL between 200KL and 300KL = R2000
R30 per KL for anything above = R6000

So the total is R500 + R1000 + R2000 + R6000

As you can imagine the highest tier which comes to R6000 is troubling me as I dont think it is fair to have a sliding scale in a multiple dwelling environment.

This is now catered for in the rates. The city lost a court case a few years back where they were billing complexes as if it's one house.

https://www.joburg.org.za/documents_/Documents/TARIFFS/2020-21%20Tariffs/ITEM%2008%20-%20Water%20Tariffs.pdf

"2.1.2 Multi dwelling units:
The supply of water to multi dwelling where water consumed in all such units are metered by one or a combination of meters supplied by Johannesburg Water, but not individually metered by meters: the combined aggregate consumption be divided by the number or dwelling units:"

You still lose if you are conserving water but your neighbours aren't! The only real way around that is individual meters - which a lot of body corporates won't install due to the cost.