Water tankers filling at the newly-built water-point in Gudelle suburb, Juba (Photo Credit: Koang Pal Chang/Eye Radio)

Residents in some parts of Juba are complaining about lack of water as water-tanker suppliers protest the newly imposed prices by the city authorities.

Late last months, the Juba City Council imposed reduced price for drinking water from 5,000 to 2,500 SSP within Juba and 3,500 in the suburbs.

The decision came following a meeting with key stakeholders in the Water distribution sector.

The Juba City Council instructed local law enforcement agencies to monitor and enforce the new water pricing structure.

However, some residents in Juba says since the new water price was imposed, the water tankers halted bringing water to the area.

“The price of water has not been reduced, and now the water tanker drivers are on strike.

“If you tell them that the price of water was reduced they say fuel is expensive and the dollar is high, now we have been two days without water in the area,” said one resident.

They say they don’t have any option but rather to buy water at previous exorbitant price

“We are really suffering because of this issue of water. The mayor imposed a new price but water tanker drivers are now refusing to work, so it is better they bring us water with the old price than we stay without water,” said another  Juba resident.

When contacted by Eye Radio, Alison Taligi who is a focal person at Juba City Council said the leadership informed all law enforcement agencies including the police to implement the order.

” We gave them all the copies of the local order and we have already made clear that we catch somebody selling more than the price, we take them to court, we have the punishment, which is there, and they are written in the local order.

“The first penalty is they will be fined. The second penalty is they go to the very person commits it twice, they shall be fined and imprisoned,” said the city official.

Asked about the violation, some water tanker drivers cited the rising cost of fuel, vehicle maintenance and extortions by traffic police as the primary drivers of the high-water price.

“Believe me, the decision that was made was not studied (taking into account) the price of fuel, the price of the water itself, the operation cost,  traffic (fees) on the road and everything.

“That means, we will be at loss if we sell at the cost of 2,500 a drum because if you multiply 2,500 by 24 drums, it will give you something like 60,000, ” he said, implying the amount amount is less compared to the operation cost they incurred.

On September 11^th, The National parliament directed stakeholders to address water pricing.

This came after the August House summoned the governor of Central Equatoria, Minister of Water Resource and Irrigation, Mayor of Juba City Council and the South Sudan Urban Water Cooperation Managing Director on the high price of water supply in Juba.