Martin Endjala
Windhoek residents have accused the municipality of overcharging consumers in its estimation of water usage which led to significant debts incurred by households.
On Monday, the Katutura Residents Committee (KRC) spokesperson, Shaun Gariseb, accused the City of Windhoek of overcharging residents through the use of estimates.
Gariseb questioned the formula the municipality uses to calculate bills, arguing that the city has been using it incorrectly for years.
“That is where the biggest catch is. That’s how we are robbed by the municipality, and they know it. Now, the next question: How do they verify the accounts with us when there’s an overcharge? The formula is wrong. It remains uncorrected,” he argued.
Gariseb said they would accompany residents to the verification process, but asked them to keep in mind that this is just basic verification.
According to him, the basic verification won’t determine the technical aspects of the fraudulently escalated debts.
“We want all affected people to request verification. We are told the verification is done on the PC only. We will go and establish and suggest they do it manually; we understand verification is complex, but paying for debts that are cost by estimation and a defective billing system is worse than that,” he said.
The city’s communications manager, Harold Akwenye, said they take the concerns seriously and appreciate the opportunity to clarify their procedures and assist residents.
He explained that the estimation of water usage typically occurs when actual meter readings cannot be obtained due to accessibility issues or other challenges.
“In such cases, estimates are based on historical usage patterns for that particular residence. We strive to make these estimates as accurate as possible to prevent any inaccuracies in billing,” he said.
Regarding the overcharge verification issue, he advised residents who feel they have been overcharged to contact the municipality’s customer service department.
Akwenye said the city has a process for reviewing and verifying charges, which involves checking the meter readings against historical usage data and other relevant information.
He explained that in order to prevent overcharging, residents should make sure their water meters are easily accessible for reading.
“In addition to the self-reading initiative, residents can request scheduled meter checks if they suspect issues with their meter or billing. We are also continually improving our technology and infrastructure to minimise estimation and enhance billing accuracy,” he said.
The CoW also announced the enforcement of water savings measures effective 1 September, following the council’s declaration of water severe scarcity, Category D drought, on 31 July.
This declaration is in line with the City of Windhoek’s 2019 Water Management Plan, which outlines our approach to managing water emergencies.
The plan categorises supply scenarios and specifies demand management actions that the city will coordinate and enforce as required.
