Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube, Online Reporter
RESIDENTS of Empumalanga Phase 4 in Hwange have gone for almost a month without water after the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) disconnected a bulk water meter supplying Hwange Local Board over a $28 million debt.
The local authority however has said the Zinwa bill was miscalculated as the Local Board owed $9.4 million and has already paid $6.1 million.
HLB Town Secretary Mr Ndumiso Mdlalose said the local authority suspects that Zinwa bulk water metres were faulty and investigations on the discrepancy are underway.
“Following the disconnection of water on the bulk water meter by Zimbabwe National Water
Authority (Zinwa) to the residents of Empumalanga Phase 4 three weeks ago, the public is
being advised that according to council records, there appears to be a discrepancy on the Zinwa bill
from the bulk meter and the council bill to the concerned residents,” he said.
Empumalanga Phase 4 is a fairly new suburb and was recently connected to water supply before being disconnected by Zinwa which supplies the Local Board.
Currently, the local board is supplying Empumalanga Phase 4 residents with water from a council water bowser while the impasse is being looked into.
Mr Mdlalose said while Zinwa’s bill is $28 million, the council’s bill to the residents is $9.4 million,
which is calculated from the resident’s water meters.
The discrepancy is about $18.6 million.
Mr Mdlalose said the local authority will take its own metre readings to ensure that bulk metre water readings by Zinwa collaborate with the council’s own reading of the same.
He said the council further seeks to establish the unit cost of water supplied by Zinwa.
“From the council’s billing of $9.4 million, it has paid Zinwa $6.1 million, against receipts of $3.7 million from Empumalanga Phase 4 residents. In essence, residents owe the council $2.4 million.
“Council is making every effort to establish the source of discrepancy between the Zinwa bill and water calculated to have been consumed by Empumalanga Phase 4 residents. Preliminary investigations indicate that the Zinwa bulk water meter supplying Empumalanga Phase 4 residents could be faulty, thus this could account for this discrepancy,” he said.
The Local Board said efforts are also being made to reconcile customer accounts to determine those owing, with a view to supply water only to those that are paid up.
Mr Mdlalose said preliminary observations have indicated that the Zinwa bills have been increasing from month to month, compared to council’s bills to Empumalanga Phase 4 residents.
The council, therefore, needs to establish whether the discrepancy in the bills reflects under billing by the council or overbilling by Zinwa or still the use of the different unit costs of water by Zinwa and council in their billing.
Mr Mdlalose urged residents to pay for water timeously for the local authority to meet its obligations from Zinwa, while endeavouring to find a lasting solution.
-@ncubeleon
Online Reporter