Editing Water supply and sanitation in South Africa (section)

===Tariff level===
Tariffs include bulk water tariffs charged by water boards to municipalities and retail water tariffs charged by municipalities to users.

'''Bulk water tariffs''' vary greatly. In 2011 the largest water board, [[Rand Water]], charged Rand 3.97 (US$0.48) per cubic meter. The highest bulk water tariff (Rand 9.11 or US$1.10 per cubic meter) was charged by the financially crippled Namakwa Water Board, while the lowest tariff (Rand 2.28 or US$0.28) was charged by the Pelladrift Water Board.<ref>{{cite web|last=allAfrica.com|title=South Africa: Water Tariffs Set to Rise to Reduce Need for Borrowing|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201005050084.html|access-date=4 August 2011|date=5 May 2010}}</ref>

'''Retail water tariffs''' vary between municipalities and between user categories, with non-residential users being charged higher tariffs than residential users. Typically water tariffs also vary with consumption, with higher tariffs applied to higher consumption. The average retail water tariff in 2006 for a sample of cities and across all consumption levels was estimated to be the equivalent of US$1.06 per cubic meter.<ref name="IBNet"/>

In 2010 '''Johannesburg''' water provided between 6 and 15 cubic meters of water per month for free, depending on the poverty level of residents. For those considered not poor, the tariff for the tranche between 6 and 10 cubic meters was R4.93 (US$0.73), for the tranche up to 15 cubic meters it was R7.31 (US$1.08) and so on until R14.94 (US$2.21) for a consumption exceeding 40 cubic meters per month. The bill for 10 cubic meters per month thus is R20.<ref>{{cite web|last=Johannesburg Water|title=Tariffs|url=http://www.johannesburgwater.co.za/asp/content_sub.asp?id=8&sid=91&pageName=Tariffs|access-date=4 August 2011}}</ref> Poor households have to register themselves as "indigent" (poor), which – according to critics – leads to a situation where only a fraction of the poor receive the higher free basic water allocation to which they are eligible.<ref>{{cite web|last=Coalition Against Water Privatisation|title=City of Johannesburg's proposed water tariff increases and shifts in free basic water allowance escalates the war on the poor|url=http://apf.org.za/spip.php?article300&lang=en|access-date=4 August 2011|date=26 March 2010}}</ref>

In '''Cape Town''' water tariffs for the first block beyond free basic water are slightly lower than in Johannesburg at R4.55 until 10 cubic meters, and the next tranche at R9.7 is broader than in Johannesburg covering until 20 cubic meters per month, with R23,42 charged beyond 50 cubic meters, resulting in a steeper tariff structure. The water bill for 10 cubic meters per month is R18. The sewer charge is 70% of the water charge.<ref>{{cite web|last=Water Rhapsody Conservation Systems|title=Cape Town Water Tariffs for 2010|url=http://www.capewatersolutions.co.za/2010/05/01/water-tariffs-for-2010/|access-date=8 September 2012}}</ref>

'''Durban''' distinguishes between a lower tariff for semi-pressure service for houses in low-income settlements with roof tanks and a higher full pressure service for "formal" housing areas. Semi-pressure service is free until 9 cubic meters, while full-pressure service costs R9.50 per cubic meter until 9 cubic meters per month, and R11.25 until 25 cubic meters. The bill for 10 cubic meters per month is R7 for semi-pressure service and R97 for full-pressure service. There is also a free low-pressure service for ground tanks in informal and rural areas, under which water is pumped once a day to fill a 200 litres ground tank.<ref>{{cite web|last=eThekwini Municipality|title=Water Tariffs as of July 1, 2012|url=http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Services/water_sanitation/Bylaws_Tariffs/Tariffs/Pages/Water_Tariffs_English.aspx|access-date=8 September 2012}}</ref>