Residents themselves expressed confusion and distress over the water billing system in Harare. Many had huge debts, sometimes as high as $3,000, which they were unable to pay, resulting in disconnections from the public water supply. Even some people whose water had been disconnected said they were still being charged for water they did not use. Since there is a reconnection fee, most people with municipal debts and disconnected water rely on water from their neighbors’ unprotected wells or from boreholes.