With effect from 1 July 2017, which is the beginning of the City of Johannesburg’s (COJ) upcoming financial year, its new tariffs for all services (and taxes) will come into play.

The approved water tariffs provide that residential households will no longer receive 6 free kiloliters in the ordinary course.

Indigent households can apply for free water, however, they must first submit their applications and have these applications approved before the free water allowance will be allocated to the invoice.

Trustees in sectional title schemes that are occupied/owned by indigent persons, and in schemes that have bulk municipal accounts for water, should make application on behalf of the scheme as a whole for the registration of every unit as indigent in order to receive the free allocation.

There is no indication from the COJ yet as to how this will operate in relation to buildings or sectional title schemes where some, but not all, of the owners are indigent, where the water is billed to the body corporate and not to the owners directly.

“If we get any indication of how this could work, we will advise you all,” says Chantelle Gladwin-Wood, Partner at Schindlers Attorneys.

“Please explain to your clients and tenants that they must expect their bills to increase, not only as a result of the annual tariff hikes, but also as a result of the falling away of the free allowance. There will also be a ‘water demand management levy’ added to the account.”

The approved tariff can be accessed online.

Article courtesy of Property 24