Understanding your water charges is important, as water is a scarce resource and mismanagement can quickly become costly. Below are some practical tips to help you save water and reduce expenses:
- Check for leaks: Inspect taps, toilets, and other plumbing fixtures regularly. Even small leaks can cause your water bill to rise significantly. Report any issues using the Ithemba App.
- Use water wisely: Take shorter showers and switch off the tap while brushing your teeth to minimize unnecessary consumption.
The water charges shown on your statement consist of the following three (3) charges:
- Meter Reading Fee (a fee to read your meters)
- Water Charge (cost of the total water used)
- Electricity (cost of heating) – note this only applicable to buildings with heat pumps
These charges will be explained in detail below:
1.Meter Reading Fee:
- This is a fee charged to read your hot and cold water meters in/outside your unit
- This is a fixed charge
- This is not linked to your water usage – so if you use no water or lots of water, this fee will remain fixed
- The fixed fee is:
- Berea – R 56
- Johannesburg CBD - R 51
- Barlow – R49.88
- Sunninghill – R0.00
2. Water Charge:
The Water Charge is the charge for all the water (hot plus cold) used in your unit. This charge will vary every month based on the total water used. This charge consists of the following two (2) charges:
2.1 Water Demand Levy
- This is a fee charged by the local municipality
- This amount is fixed at R 123.90
- This fixed fee is not linked to the amount of water you used
2.2 Water Usage
- This is a charge for the total water (hot plus cold) used in your unit
- The statement shows the total kilolitres of water used (hot plus cold) for a particular period
- This will vary every month based on the usage
- NB - The period in which this meter is read is usually 30 days in arrears – for example this means that your September statement will show the readings from the August month usage
- The total water is billed based on a sliding scale as determined by the local municipality
- The more water you use, the higher the tariff per kl. All charges are inclusive of VAT- see the table below
| Water Tariffs per Kilolitre | Recovery Tariff 2025/2026 |
| 0-6kl | R0.00 |
| 6-10kl | R38,61 |
| 10-15kl | R40,30 |
| 15kl-20kl | R56,50 |
| 20kL-30kL | R78,09 |
| 30kL- 40kL | R85,40 |
| 40kL-50kL | R107,74 |
| >50 | R115,45 |
Here’s an example of how to calculate your Water Usage:
If your household consumes a total (hot plus cold) of 13kl of water in a month, you will refer to the tariff table and break down your usage according to the consumption.
Your consumption is spread across these brackets. Even if you do not fully use up the allocation in each bracket, you still calculate charges based on the amount of water you consumed within that range.
- 0-6kl = 6kl
- 6kl x R0.00 = R0.00
- 6-10kl = 4kl (difference between 6kl and 10kl)
- 4kl x R38.61 = R154.44
- 10-13kl = 3kl
- 3kl x R40.30 = R120.90
- Total Water Usage = R275.34
2.3. Water Charge on the Statement
In the above example, the Water Charge that reflects on your statement will then be:
- Water Demand Levy – R123.90 + Water Usage – R275.34 = R399.24
3. Electricity (cost of heating):
For buildings with heat pumps, a cost for heating of water is calculated and charged to your unit.
- This is the cost of the electricity to heat the water
- This cost is based on the hot water usage only
- The statement shows the kilolitres of water that was heated for a particular period
- NB - The period in which this meter is read is usually 30 days in arrears – for example this means that your September statement will show the readings from the August month usage
- The hot water used is multiplied by a heating rate per building
- The heating rates per building are listed below in Rand per kilo litre (kl)
| Water Heating Rate | |
| Building | 2025/2026 Rate Rand/kl |
| Hofman New Yorker | R105.37 |
| Plumridge | R105.37 |
| Rand Executive | R105.37 |
| Rose Crest | R105.37 |
| Eyethu | R79.30 |
| The Sapphire | R105.37 |
| Situation East | R114.06 |
| Emerald | R96.42 |
| Elevate | R105.37 |
| Vuja de | R79.30 |
| Towers Main | R105.37 |
| Diamond | R105.37 |
| Onyx | R105.37 |
| Barlow | R102.11 |
| Apollo | R103.20 |
| Atlas | R103.20 |
| Alpha | R97.77 |
Here’s an example of how to calculate your Electricity to heat the water:
If your hot water consumption for the month is 9kl and you live in Towers Main, then the charge will be:
- 9kl x R105.37 (Towers Main rate) = R948.33