By Nangamso Mabindla
9 March 2005

WE HAVE the heavy rains of the last few months to thank: the Buffalo City Municipality in a Mayoral Committee meeting in February withdrew the punitive water tariff it had imposed.

Over the past few years the city has suffered from one of its longest droughts in years, causing the water levels at its dams to drop to below 60 percent. Introduced in November 2003, the tariff aimed to offset the increased operational costs of supplying water to King Williams Town when the level at Rooikrantz Dam - like most of Buffalo City's dams - dropped to below 60 percent. The City was forced to buy additional, and more expensive, treated water from Laing Dam.

The tariff was also aimed at encouraging people to use water more sparingly and to stop wasting it. Darby Gounden, the City's communications manager, said the withdrawal of the tariff was good news for residents.

"Since October the water level at Rooikrantz Dam has risen to over 70 percent. Because of this increase, the municipality has not had to draw water from Laing Dam," said Gounden

However, she warned that cancelling the tariff did not mean people could start misusing (read: wasting) water. "We'll still encourage our citizens to use water sparingly; it is a precious resource," said Gounden.