Residents of Haywood Road, Crawford are engaging with the City of Cape Town on their water woes, but say they are still being “harassed” by the media and the public. An unidentified resident in Haywood road has been named as the top water user in the municipality in a list released by the City on Monday, and claims to have been unduly targeted by members of the public and news reporters.

Other residents say they have also been targeted with photographs taken of neighbours’ properties, reporters loitering in the areas and criticism on social media platforms. They described the situation as “intolerable”.

In a press statement on Saturday, the residents said the owner of the property concerned related the chain of events:
-was discovered that something was amiss in January 2017 when the municipal bill was received
– professional was called in to investigate,
-an underground leak was detected
– the matter was reported to the City of Cape Town immediately
-the City of Cape Town communicated to the owner they are not responsible for the
fixing of leaks
– the leak was fixed immediately by a private contractor,
-all information pertaining to the bill was supplied to the City of Cape Town upfront and
the correct process was followed
-the matter pertaining to the bill is currently being resolved amicably between the
owner of the property and the City of Cape Town
-the owner can confirm that normal water usage has resumed and this is expected to
be reflected on future bills

In another statement, the property owner, who asked not to be named, said:

“I did not intend for this matter to escalate to the extent that it has in the media and on social media. I would like to stress that my family and myself have done our utmost to conserve water during Cape Town’s drought. We are conscious of the situation and have been, for example, neglecting our garden, which has been our pride and joy for the number of years we have been living in the area. Our property is well maintained and this is the first time a leak has been detected.”

Speaking on behalf of the residents, Saleem Gamza also strongly urged all members of the
public and the media to allow the process with the City of Cape Town to take its course and to respect neighbours’ privacy.

He has stressed that the identity of the household concerned is unknown to the neighbourhood, aside from one or two neighbours who have been offering assistance.

“Neither the person concerned, nor the neighbourhood, sought to sensationalise this matter. Those concerned would like the matter to be resolved through the correct channels.”

On Friday, the City said it stood by the integrity of its data. Speaking to VOC, City spokesperson Priya Reddy said top 100 list is based on the actual water readings. She said the City’s Water Inspectorate is currently inspecting the various properties on the list and engaging with property owners.

“According to our records, not one of the households reported a leak through the City’s many channels or sought any kind of assistance from the City,” said City spokesperson Priya Reddy.

“It must be borne in mind that the responsibility lies with residents to monitor their water bills, to identify leaks – even if these emanate from underground pipes on their property – and to have them repaired. Leaks constitute consumption: the bigger the leak, the higher the consumption. The City is only mandated to maintain the pipes up until the boundary of privately owned properties.”

She added that if a resident detects a leak on their premises, they are encouraged to apply for a rebate from the City. VOC