NEWS RELEASE                                                                                                29 March 2001

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WON’T DELAY FREE BASIC WATER

In spite of complex technical problems, the City of Cape Town Council had moved fast to provide free basic water to domestic households in the Cape Metropolitan Area, a full meeting of the Council was told today.

Councillor Lionel Roelf, deputy chairperson of the Trading Services portfolio committee gave the assurance that households would start receiving free water from 1 May. However, he warned that tariffs would be adjusted with effect from July to ensure full cost recovery.

“The reason for our decision to provide a quota of free water is that it is right and fair to make clean water available to everyone, and especially the very poor,” he said. To ensure that the principle of equity was met, six kilolitres of water would be supplied free of charge each month to all households, rich and poor.

This was enough to fill 1 200 small buckets or provide water for 100 showers or 50 baths.

Councillor Roelf said a number if factors would be taken into account in setting new tariffs. These included the cost of providing free water, the impact of water restrictions and the likelihood that they would continue, and normal inflationary pressures.

He said free water was not a license to waste water. The free water policy would be accompanied by an intensive educational campaign stressing the need for water conservation in a region facing shortages in the future.

“The cost of new dams is prohibitive and there is no longer any space left for dams,” said Councillor Roelf “Water conservation is the only solution if the region is to have a sustainable source in the long term.”

He said that the Council would also pursue a vigorous credit control policy and would take steps to recover all arrears.

“The culture of non-payment is not acceptable to the new City of Cape Town Council. The days are past when people can consume large amounts of water and then plead poverty when it comes to paying the bill.”

Councillor Roelf paid tribute to the Council staff who had worked long hours to ensure that the deadline for the introduction of the new service was met.

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