Filabusi moves to punish defaulters

The Insiza Rural District Council (RDC) has introduced new by-laws empowering it to disconnect water supplies to defaulting ratepayers after giving a one-month notice.

The regulations, contained in Statutory Instrument (SI) 168 of 2025, set out clear provisions governing water supply, billing, disconnections, and consumer obligations within the Filabusi urban service centre and surrounding areas.

According to Section 6 of the new by-laws, the owner, occupier, and consumer of any property are "jointly and severally liable" for the payment of all water supply charges.

Section 7(1) further empowers the council to "cut off or restrict the supply to any consumer" after issuing at least 30 days' notice. Grounds for disconnection include failure to pay bills on time, or breaches of by-laws related to water waste, misuse, or contamination.

"In respect of water services provided for any premises, the owner, occupier and consumer are jointly and severally liable and responsible for payment of all applicable charges for water supply," the SI reads.

Consumers will also bear the cost of both disconnection and reconnection, even in cases where service interruptions are not caused by their fault.

The by-laws also introduce provisions for prepaid water meters, stating that no refunds will be issued for purchased water credit once a payment token has been generated. The council will not be liable for any lost credit resulting from meter tampering or misuse, while consumers will be responsible for repairing leaks occurring after the prepaid meter.

The regulations further outline procedures for terminating water supply agreements.
A consumer wishing to end their contract must give the council 10 working days' written notice, while the council itself may terminate an agreement with at least 10 days' notice if the consumer fails to comply with the by-laws or has not used the service for more than six months without making alternative arrangements.

Once an agreement is terminated, the council may disconnect supply unless a new consumer assumes responsibility for payment from the date of the last meter reading.

The SI also stipulates that the council is only obligated to supply potable water suitable for domestic purposes, clarifying the limits of its service responsibility.

The new by-laws come amid growing pressure on local authorities to tighten revenue collection and improve service delivery, as many councils continue to struggle with non-payment of bills and deteriorating infrastructure.