THE National Water Commission (NWC) has hauled at least 3,000 delinquent customers before the court to recover millions owed for potable water supplied to it.In January the utility company said it was acting on instructions from Water Minister, Karl Blythe, and had used the courts to try and collect more than $1 billion monthly from thousands of delinquent clients.
Several quasi-public sector entities were among the delinquent, but the company said in the case of hospitals and schools, its policy is not to disconnect even if there is delinquency, but to work with the clients to clear arrears. In other cases, however, supply would have been disconnected by the time the matter reached the courts.
Corporate relations manager, Charles Buchanan, told The Sunday Gleaner last week, that at least 3,000 cases are before the courts in different parishes, with the Corporate Area and St. Catherine accounting for most of the delinquent accounts.
"Up to a week and a half ago, there were about 3,000 cases before the courts at varying stages," Mr. Buchanan said.
According to him, the NWC is trying to collect "on average between $1.1 and $1.3 billion per month from delinquent accounts."
He also said, several schools are likely to be taken to court shortly.
"We have been working with several schools to assist them in managing their water usage. One of the things we find is that although they dispute the sums outstanding the water is used, but water payment is not necessarily high priority for them," he said.
According to him, the NWC is left with no choice but to sue the schools.
He said, it is not the Ministry of Education which will be sued, but the schools, as they are given a sum for utilities. He said too, that schools received water at discounted rates.
However, while rulings have been made in scores of cases, and judgment handed down in favour of the utility company, several individuals have defied the court's order, forcing the NWC to return to court to seek compliance.
- E.V.
