The Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry says there is no justification for the drought charge the City Council wants to introduce to compensate for the loss in revenue from water saving and lower sales.
In a letter of objection to the new fee, Ms Janine Myburgh, President of the Chamber, said the City should find ways to reduce its costs just as any private sector company would do in these circumstances.
You cannot punish customers for buying less of what the City cannot supply anyway.
For ten successive years, water tariff increases had been well above the inflation rate and in four of those years the increases had been more than double the CPI.
“We further reject the idea of basing an extra fee on the valuation of property.
Many property owners have gone to great lengths to save water.
They have installed well points, grey water systems and bought tanks to capture rain water.
They are deserving of our gratitude for their water savings, at their own cost, will mean more water will be available for others.
They should be rewarded,” Ms Myburgh said.
The situation was similar to the electricity crisis where high tariffs had forced consumers to use power more efficiently and to look for alternatives.