Georgetown: The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is looking towards stringent enforcement tactics to dissuade water theft, according to Chief Executive of the utility company Shaik Baksh.
He said persons are tampering with water meters, “I see that we would now have to do more enforcement, that is, taking people to the courts. If we disconnect people and they reconnect themselves and we disconnect them again and they reconnect a second time they have to go to the courts. We are going to take this action more and more now.”
The Chief Executive said water wastage coupled with the resistance to pay for the liquid commodity represents an embedded culture in the Guyanese society which needs to be arrested with much urgency.
Moreover, he disclosed that GWI intends to intensify efforts at policing of the system. This, however, would require more staffers to man the various divisions of GWI in order to bring into account those who are disconnected but opt to reconnect themselves. “Water is easy to reconnect; it is not like electricity. When you disconnect somebody in a rural area they go to their neighbour and get reconnected or they connect back with a hose. ”
Baksh categorically insisted that “people actually feel that they have a right to free water and this means a loss to the utility and it affects our revenue position.” This is particularly evident with non-revenue water, that is, water that is billed for but for which the utility company does not receive payment.
“Once people consume more water they will pay more or a higher tariff rate.” Not only does he anticipates that this will reduce the level of consumption but it will also serve to significantly reduce the water company’s energy cost. At the moment GWI’s monthly energy cost is valued at about GUY$220M which is payable to the Guyana Power and Light Inc.
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