WSDP: MODULE 2
TOPIC 12: SOCIAL AND CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
12. Social and Customer Services Requirements
12.1 Resources
The CoCT is committed to maintaining the high level of service it currently provides. The
service levels are reported annually within the WSDP. The blue drop and green drop status’s
that have been achieved forms evidence to the CoCT’s high level of service. The challenge
that exists within the future is the growth of the City and diminishing of its resources. The
latter makes it increasingly difficult to maintain and improve the service level.
To make this commitment tangible the CoCT W&S Department has:

Drafted a Customer Services Charter

Conducts annual customer complaints surveys

Setup a 24 hr. customer complaints call centre.
This call centre is the first of its kind in the country to be ISO accredited.
12.2 Quality of service for water
Water supplied by water service providers to be used as drinking water or domestic
purposes must be quality tested and achieve SANS 241 quality standard.
The SFWS indicator of quality of supply of drinking water covers:

The water quality relates to the proportion of household who do not receive water of
adequate quality.

The continuity of the supply relates to the proportion of households who do not receive
adequate continuity of water supply.
In the CoCT all households receive water of adequate water quality. In informal settlements
water supply is within 200 m at a concentration of one tap for every 25 households.
Restricted flows are only introduced in cases of none payment or when demand
management devices are installed with agreement from customers.
The CoCT is committed to continuing to supply this high level of service. To do this
adequately, the city keeps customer complaint records for customers receiving an
interrupted service and low flow rates.
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12.3 The Number of Consumers Targeted for Water & Sanitation Education
Customer education, communication and liaison are accepted as key ways of engaging
customers and are being afforded a high priority in the new structure of Water and Sanitation
Services. Water conservation, water pollution, basic sanitation, hygiene and health, water
ingress and payment habits, are all being addressed comprehensively.
There is a complex media strategy in place for each of these items and some cases targeted
pilot interventions to raise awareness were consistent problems occur. Examples of these
pilots that require intensive public engagement are:

Foreign objects in sewer pipes

The new backyarder policy

Upgrade of informal settlements

The introduction of demand management devices and the writing off of arrears

The public participation of in the development of the IDP, its strategic focus areas and all
departmental service development plans. These are currently done together in a
centrally coordinated way
The education strategy often targets social institutions and public events to get to as many
people as possible. These institutions are schools, clinics, shopping centres
There is a likely wood that in future W&S Service Development Plan will require public
engagement independently of other public participation initiatives.
12.4 Attending to Customer Complaints
At the moment there is a 24hr call centre to deal with customer complaints on water and
sewer services which is recorded tracked and reported and audited regularly. The CoCT is
committed to dealing with all water burst and sanitation blockages within 24 hrs.
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12.5 Attending Complaints of Discharge from Waste Water Treatment Works
At the moment the CoCT has at least four waste water treatment plants that are under
capacity and an additional three under pressure. This has resulted in a number of complaints
from the public about odour and quality of the effluent discharge. The CoCT has put
measures in place which aim to divert in some cases and block new developments that
could aggravate problems of capacity. Due to the use of live bacteria for waste water
treatment there is often a time lag between a problem reported and an intervention impact
being seen. These complaints are documented and audited regularly. This record is also
required to follow-up poisoning of WWTW by industrial effluent and used as evidence to fine
the offenders.
12.6 Attending Complaints for Sanitation: Pit and Tank Pumping
In the CoCT there are very few areas affected by night soil collection or Septic/conservancy
Tanks. Conservancy tanks occur mainly in the Philippi Water Cultural Area which also has a
high water table. This leads to problems of flooding tanks. The city is intending to formally
service these sites which will also reduce the threat to the pollution of ground water.
Complaints due to flooding tanks or delays in tank pumping is recorded and audited.
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