Plumbing Africa October 2017 | Page 7

NEWS 5 Namibian town issues 170 fines, collects NAD212 000 In August alone, the town council in Rundu had detected over 170 illegal water connections, and issued fines at NAD2 000 each. Once the council detected an illegal water connection, it immediately disconnected it and issued a fine to the offender. There are some connections in the system that have been disconnected due to non-payment but that have been illegally reconnected; other connections that had been illegally connected and that are not in the system nor being paid for have been removed as they are illegal. In terms of water losses, illegal water connections are creating a big problem. This campaign was run by the Rundu Town Council, to detect and disconnect illegal water connections during August. Officials are thinking of extending the campaign because they have not covered the entire town — they only managed to cover some percentages of certain recently proclaimed locations. If they can get 100% coverage, they estimate the numbers would soar. system. Such residents end up not paying, but when the council eventually discovers it, offenders will be fined. PA In terms of water losses, the illegal water connections are creating a big problem for the council and the town. What they are able to source from residents’ water bills is not tallying, according to the fees being paid to NamWater for service. The acting CEO of the Rundu Town Council warned residents not to pay fellow residents or individual town council officials outside the revenue office to get water connected to their plots, as that would be illegal. He also advised that those seeking a water connection should follow existing procedures of applying to the council. Some officials are committing fraud by taking money from residents to connect them to the town’s water network and ultimately, the money does not reach the council coffers and that water meter is not on the PLUMBDRAIN 2018 15 - 18 Aug 2018 Contact: DALE MACNAMARA Exhibition Manager or ZELDALEE DU TOIT Online Sales Tel: +27 (0)11 579 4940 www.plumbingafrica.co.za October 2017 Volume 23 I Number 8