Water meter readings
Your home or business is connected to the City’s water network through a water meter, which usually sits in a small chamber under the pavement outside your property.
Traditional water meters
Traditional manual water meter reading
Traditional meter reading involves City meter readers using a handheld computer terminal that contains core information about the property, such as the erf number and the address.
When meter readings are unable to be taken (due to gates being locked or other circumstances) and you do not submit your water reading, your bill will be an estimate based on your previous water use.
Over the next 10 years, the City is migrating away from traditional water meters to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) smart, ultrasonic meters.
AMI digital meters
The City’s AMI programme is a complex, large scale, strategic initiative of the Water and Sanitation Directorate aimed at improving the management of water resources and services through the replacement of existing traditional mechanical water meters with a smart metering solution.
Over the next decade, a large portion of the City’s more than 680 000 mechanical water meters will be replaced by AMI ultrasonic meters, along with the necessary supporting infrastructure. This shift to a digital and automated system will allow for better water management, improved meter reading accuracy, early leak detection and, ultimately, a more sustainable water future for all.
Smart water meters measure water consumption with improved accuracy. They are able to provide early alerts of potential leaks thus helping to optimise water management, for both the City and residents.
How do AMI digital meters work?
Smart meters work by recording water usage on an ongoing basis using advanced digital measurement technology. It can also detect and send alerts for events such as leaks or unusual usage.
This consumption data is sent daily via cloud technology to the City’s Water and Sanitation Directorate for monitoring and billing.
Once the programme is live, you will be able to monitor your daily consumption through the City's app, allowing you to manage your water usage efficiently, and detect leaks early, which means no more surprises on your water bill, ultimately saving you money.
frequently asked questions
Download our AMI FAQs for more information.
Download PDF
If you have not yet been allocated an AMI digital meter, you can help us get an accurate reading for your traditional water meter by doing the following:
- Make sure you know where your water meter is.
- Make sure it is not obstructed (e.g. by sand or weeds) and is easy to read.
- Your water meter should be accessible to our officials at all times.
- If your water meter is behind locked gates, or if dogs prevent the meter readers from taking a reading, you can submit the reading yourself (see below).
- Alternatively, ask us to
relocate your meter to the outside of your house, via our Report a fault tool.
How you can read your water meter
You can submit your water meter reading by calling
0860 103 089, or entering it online via your municipal account on our
e-Services portal.
Find out How to Read Your Water Meter (English |
Afrikaans |
isiXhosa) and monitor your water use.
On all traditional water meters, black numbers represent kilolitres and red numbers represent litres. You are charged per kilolitre, so you only need to supply the black numbers when submitting a reading from a traditional water meter.
Please note
You do not need to submit a manual water meter reading if you have a smart meter. You will not be able to view the screen on your meter if your meter has been replaced with a smart meter. Do not attempt to remove the cover in order to view the reading. Your consumption data is sent directly to the City and can be viewed on the app once it is live.
Water and sanitation tariffs
All formal properties have water meters, which we use to read your water usage and calculate your monthly bill. However, there are different tariffs for residences, businesses, and other organisations.
Water tariffs and restrictions
No water restrictions have been in effect from 1 November 2020. In terms of the
Water By-law,
permanent water-saving regulations remain in place. Ensure that you use water responsibly. Failure to comply with regulations may result in a fine or prosecution.
Find out more about
water restrictions and
water tariffs.
Report problems with your water meter
If your water meter is not being read regularly, has been stolen, is malfunctioning or needs to be relocated to outside of your property, please contact our 24-hour call centre:
You can also visit our
service request portal to report or request an issue online. Find out how to
submit a service request.
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