When it comes to the City of Cape Town, I have been extremely tolerant and accommodating, especially over the past two weeks.
The problem is my water supply.
Actually, it started last year when I suddenly got an astronomical water bill for just one month.
I asked the City to investigate, but was told I would have to continue paying the bill, until they could figure out who was at fault.
So they promptly started what they call “piggy backing,” which means every time you buy pre-paid electricity, they take a portion of it towards your “arrears”.
Let me just stop to explain that I have a crippling fear of debt.
I hate owing anyone any money, so I live my life making sure the debt that I do have, is always in credit.
Up until the massive water bill, I was in credit with the City due to the fact that I over-estimate my usage and always over-pay them.
So you can imagine my shock when I went from a healthy credit, to suddenly owing more than 20 times my monthly estimate.
Anyway, they tested the water meter, discovered it was faulty and agreed to refund me, which of course took several months and dozens of frustrating emails and phones calls.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when a new electronic water meter gets installed outside my property, without my knowledge.
Bear in mind that this is a few short months after the previous new meter was installed to replace the old faulty one.
Now I’m sitting with problems that are apparently widespread.
My water goes off and on at random times and I am unable to get a straight answer from anyone.
I was without water for an entire weekend recently and despite sending texts to the helpline, got absolutely no response.
On Monday evening, a half-interested contract team arrives and tests my meter, while I look on.
The gent shows me his laptop screen and points out that I used up my entire household allocation in the early hours of the morning, when my entire household was fast asleep.
Then he advises me to apply to the City for a bigger allocation.
All the time ignoring my explanation that we couldn’t have used up our allocation in the middle of the night.
Anyway, his slightly more interested supervisor then decided to switch the water on anyway, telling me that he had actually seen this before with the new electronic meters.
Turns out this happens often.
A Facebook post instantly showed me that many Capetonians are living without water for days, because of similar reasons, while others are saddled with inexplicably high water bills, which they spend days querying, while being forced to pay.
I understand that there’s a water crisis and, like most Capetonians, I am more than prepared to do my bit to help ease the situation.
But why does it feel like the more I do, the more the City is penalising me with incompetent, unsympathetic and shoddy work?