JOHANNESBURG - Residents may be punished for non-paying municipalities.
Rand Water is threatening to reduce water flows in non-paying areas.
It's contemplating declaring an intergovernmental financial dispute as municipal debt escalates.
Municipalities owe the utility R3-billion, with R2-billion from Gauteng councils and R1-billion owed by Mpumalanga.
WATCH: SA's water crisis | Payments not flowing to Rand Water
Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo says at least R63-million owed is from the Free State.
"We are looking into really invoking Section 41 of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework Act to declare an intergovernmental financial dispute," she said.
"Some of them are saying they're unable to collect money from residents, but what we're saying is give us whatever you have."