Residents of a Parklands complex say their landlord violated their rights to water and sanitation after the City cut off the water supply last month because the water bill was more than a year in arrears.
The City removed the water meter from Ewfield Park Complex just after 3pm on Thursday February 15, leaving it without piped water for two weeks, say residents.
A week ago, say the residents, the landlord delivered five 1000-litre plastic water tanks. The residents have been drawing water from the tanks but say the landlord has warned them it is unfit for human consumption.
Some say they have no choice but to use the water for drinking and cooking because they can’t afford to buy water.
The residents said they had stopped paying their rent this month to give their landlord, Mohammed Hassin, a “wake-up call”.
Last Friday, Tabletalk visited the five three-storey blocks of flats in the Ewfield End Road cul-de-sac. A stench hung in the air, and the water tanks were bone dry. Residents said they were unable to flush their toilets.
Most of the tenants did not want to be named, saying they feared eviction, but Yoan Aaron, 40, said he was tired of being treated like an “animal” and was moving out.
“My arms are sore every day. I have to carry litres and litres of water to the top floor so that my 1-year-old baby can eat, drink and bathe, yet I have never been in arrears with my rent since I moved here two years ago.”
A woman said she boiled water and bathed using a bucket as she had been unable to shower for almost three weeks. There wasn’t enough water in the tanks for the 82 families at the complex, she said.
“People are fighting over this water, and it’s causing a bigger problem than what is already happening here.”
Others accused the landlord of neglecting maintenance at the block while still expecting rent to be paid on time.
Christopher Bwala said the complex’s gate had been broken since he moved there six years ago, and he pointed to unlocked electricity boxes.
“This is a hazard, but when we report it, nothing gets done,” he said, adding that more than two families lived together in some of the flats.
Some of tenants admitted that they paid the landlord a cheaper rate to do this.
According to the lease, which Tabletalk has a copy of, each tenant is liable for their own water and electricity, but because there is one main water supply, it becomes part of the rent.
Mr Hassin said he had asked the tenants several times to pay for their own individual water meters but they had refused.
“The residents are wasting the water, leaving taps and toilets running, and that’s why the bills are high.”
He told Tabletalk on Monday that he was setting up a payment arrangement with the City to have the water at the complex restored but because most of the tenants had not paid their rent this month, he had been unable to make a down payment.
“We discussed with the tenants, as per the lease agreement, they are liable to pay the water and we would pay all past bills. In order to do this, we would install water meters.
“They all complained that they weren’t willing to have these meters installed. The meter is so that each tenant pays for what they use and have their own water-control device to purchase water. During and after Covid, we had accommodated tenants that weren’t able to pay the rent and couldn’t manage to cover their water bills as well. So we were lenient to let them make payment arrangements with us.”
Referring to the water tanks, Mr Hassin sent Tabletalk a letter from the water suppliers stating that the water was safe for human consumption.
He said the gate had been repaired but had been forced open by residents who had not taken the trouble to get new remotes after it had been reprogrammed, and the electrical boxes were open because residents broke the locks trying to bypass the meters.
“We constantly replace them. We have now ordered metal boxes, which is more difficult to tamper with.”
Mr Hassin said he would investigate claims that some tenants were sub-letting flats.
Mayoral committee member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the complex’s account was in arrears and there was no active payment arrangement.
“This account has been in arrears for more than a year, which resulted in the water being shut off.”
The City planned to install a standpipe until the owner had made an arrangement to pay off the arrears because the residents had a right to a basic supply of water, he said.
“The City holds the owner liable for the debt outstanding on the account. However, in terms of the credit control and debt collection policy, the tenants can enter into a payment arrangement with the City on condition that they can prove their ability to pay and meet all the necessary criteria.”
