New smart meter to improve water billing system, vows Kaunda

During a media briefing on Wednesday morning on the state of service delivery in the municipality, Kaunda said the meters will be implemented soon. 

He said the city is dealing with numerous complaints from residents who say they are being overcharged for water and electricity. 

This technology will improve their billing system, he claimed.

"It necessitates that we have a proper system in place, which is smart, to conduct all this work so that we become responsive to the plight of our communities."

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"Once this system is rolled-out throughout the city we'll be able to have load management in stead of load shedding. So once this system is in operation fully, we'll be able to load manage our communities, not to load shed them." 

Kaunda said the technology will also help them identify customers who are cheating the system.

"We are confident that this intervention will reduce electricity theft and illegal connections. It will also enable us to detect water leaks as we are also going to be having a satellite detector, which is now on the final stage of the tender."

Kaunda says they've stepped up their efforts to rid the inner city of the crime and grime.

"We call upon informal traders and small businesses to work with us to keep our city clean. A similar imitative will be accelerated in our secondary CBDs such as Isipingo, Pinetown, Verlum and Tongaat. 

"Keeping the city clean and free of crime  is key in attracting more businesses into the inner city as well as residents to come and reside in the inner city." 

He says over R3 billion will be spent on improving the city's electricity and water infrastructure in the next financial year.