Water woes finally over for Phase 4 residents

Hwange Local Board (HLB) has moved in to supply Empumalanga Phase 4 residents with
water from a bowser after the suburb’s pipes were disconnected three weeks ago by
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) due to arrears.
HLB in a statement accused ZINWA of disconnecting the suburb’s water meters, owing to a
discrepancy on the authority’s billing system, which is said to be based on estimates.
“While ZINWA’s bill is ZW$28 million, Council’s bill to the residents is ZW$ 9.4 million,
which is calculated from residents’ water meters, ”HLB statement read.
“From Council’s billing of ZW$9.4 million, Council has paid ZINWA ZW$6.1 million,
against receipts of ZW$3.7 million from Empumalanga Phase 4 residents. In essence
residents are owing Council ZW$2.4 million.”
HLB said investigations are underway to establish the discrepancy.
“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. That
discrepancy is ZW$18.6 million
“Council therefore needs to establish whether the discrepancy in the bills reflects under
billing by Council or overbilling by ZINWA or still the use of different unit cost of water by
ZINWA and Council in their billing.”
The local board said it will ensure that bulk meter water readings by ZINWA are collaborated
by Council’s own reading of the same to establish the unit cost of water supplied by ZINWA
to Council.
Meanwhile, the local board is making efforts to reconcile customer accounts to determine
those owing, with a view to supply water only to those that are paid up.