Cabinet has taken a decision to introduce a wastewater tariff that will be incorporated in customers’ monthly bills. The waste water tariff is charged based on consumption of potable water.
A communiqu├® from the Corporation stated that Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) will implement the 2nd step of water tariffs rationalization and adjustment of tariffs effective 1st of April 2015.
This follows cabinet’s recent approval of a new tariff structure for the Water Utilities Corporation following an exercise to rationalise water tariffs nationally.
Standard connection fee-up to 50 meters connection distance- while water Utilities Corporation digging trenches and providing connection materials is now P 2, 000.00 inclusive of VAT.
The Standard connection fee- up to 50 meters while customers digging their own trenches and Water Utilities Corporation providing connection materials is now P1, 500.00 inclusive of VAT.
The first rationalisation was implemented in 2012 following the implementation of the Water Sector Reforms that had brought about 28 different tariff structures.
The main function of Water Sector Reforms Programme was to improve Service level for all water users in the country through equitable and cost reflective provision of quality water and waste water services.
The various water authorities that WUC took over established tariffs independently hence the various tariffs that WUC adopted and is currently operating with from area to area.
Due to these varying tariffs some customers used to pay up to 300 percent more than other customers for the same amount of consumption and quality of water.
The first tariff rationalization reduced the number of tariffs from 28 to 11, and the recently approved structure further reduces them to five. The corporation believes that under the new structure these inconsistencies have to a large extent been addressed.
The Corporation is seriously faced with a challenge of providing water to the nation especially in the capital city and surroundings due to the dried Gaborone dam.
The community of Mmopane and other areas in the outskirts of Gaborone are experiencing the worst of water shortage as they can go up to four days or more without anything dripping out of their taps.
