THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) notes with some concern a series of negative public comments regarding the disconnection or discontinuance of water supply, either for illegal connections or failure to pay water supply bills. We hope that those comments are not supporting water theft, delinquency and irresponsibility.
The basic fact is that water supply services are provided at tremendous cost. Money has to be spent daily to harness, treat, pump and distribute water. Therefore, in addition to it being unfair, the NWC simply cannot continue indefinitely to provide service to persons who do not pay.
As provided for under the law, the NWC has disconnected or discontinued water supply to delinquent customers and illegal connections to its network across the island. Many of these lawful, reasonable and necessary attempts to get persons who receive our service to pay their fair share have been met with resistance and have to be done with the help of the police.
ILLEGAL CONNECTIONS
For example, illegal connections and delinquency have disrupted the New Forest Water Supply System for years. Not only has the old pipe network been virtually destroyed, but legitimate customers have been denied a reliable service and millions of dollars had to be spent to construct a new distribution network - a new network that is again threatened by illegal connections and delinquency.
In the case of Portmore Lane, water supply was disconnected after hundreds of residents refused to pay, leaving only four households with legal and paid-up accounts. All the others were either legal customers with arrears (and therefore liable for disconnection) or illegal connections trespassing on the water supply network (and therefore liable for disconnection, back-charges and prosecution). While the inconvenience to those four paying customers is deeply regretted, it is absolutely clear that water supply services cannot be continued in those circumstances.
No other business entity would be expected to continue to deliver services in an area in which it has so few customers and its deliveries are subject to daily, repeated robberies, hijackings, non-payment and threats to its employees.
IT IS ONLY FAIR
In all instances, NWC would much rather collect than disconnect. Hence, NWC normally undertakes a range of activities even before discon-nections. In fact, a water supply disconnection only occurs months after the water had been delivered and funds have been expended by NWC to deliver that service. Additionally, as soon as persons pay or make arrangements for payment or the circumstances change, we will restore service.
While we regret that some would view our lawful, reasonable and necessary actions negatively, the NWC remains resolute in removing illegal connections and delinquents from the water supply network. The NWC is also confident of the support of the majority of its valued paying customers and law-abiding, well-thinking Jamaicans, in its continued drive to make everyone who receive our services pay for it. It is only fair.
I am, etc.,
CHARLES BUCHANAN
National Water Commission
Corporate Public Relations Manager
