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Help for Those Struggling With High Water Bills

If you’re facing a huge water bill in eThekwini, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there’s some real help on the way.

In a bold move to try help residents and to bring arrears down, the eThekwini municipality has approved a special debt relief programme that gives households and businesses a chance to have 50% of their water debt written off.

With total water debt in the city reaching R14.7 billion, the council hopes this will offer much needed relief for customers who’ve fallen behind, especially those dealing with undetected underground leaks, which is an issue that has recently been in the spotlight.

This limited offer applies to debts up to 31 January 2025 and runs until the end of June 2025.

How To Get the 50% Write Off

To benefit, you’ll need to settle half your arrears and also pay your full water bills for February, March, and April 2025.

And in an effort to get people to take advantage of the offer the municipality has even thought about those who can’t pay in full for those months. If you can’t manage the new bills straight away, there’s a safety net: you can enter into a six-month payment plan.

For many, this is a second chance to catch up without being overwhelmed. The city recognises that if people take advantage of this offer, then they are trying, and this backup plan gives them a practical way to move forward and not get stuck with huge arrears.

Water Leak Insurance & Debt Write Offs

There’s more good news if your high bill is specifically linked to a water leak.

eThekwini offers water loss insurance for domestic customers with individual meters. So, if you had a hidden underground leak and your insurance only paid part of your claim, the municipality may now write off the unpaid portion.

This is massive since many residents have been worried about this and have felt that it is very unfair that they are faced with such bills.

Of course, you will need to submit a water loss claim form, along with your plumber’s invoice, and any other supporting documents within 60 days of fixing the leak.

Many eThekwini residents don’t realise that they had this kind of support, but now’s the time to check if you qualify, and to apply for relief before 30 June 2025 if you have arrears with the city.