CUSTOMER Services Director of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Earle Aaron, disclosed yesterday that the GWI has adopted a no-nonsense approach to customers who have been making illegal reconnections to avoid making payments to the GWI. He said that this includes many prominent businesses.
He added that since the call was made for customers to desist from engaging in any illegal reconnections, about 60% have since come forward to honour their obligations, and GWI is pleased with the response thus far. Nevertheless, there are those customers who have resorted to making illegal reconnections to their water lines, especially those who have had their lines completely removed.
He warned that in addition to the full cost of the reconnections, which include materials and labour by contracted employees of the water company — which can cost any amount from $40,000 to $60,000 just for the installation process — an errant customer will have to pay additional costs to fix any road breakages that might occor in his/her reconnection process. Moreover, GWI would institute legal proceedings against those errant customers.
Aaron urged customers not to allow their lines to be removed, because the process of reapplying for the service entails commercial customers paying a $50,000  tamper fee and $13,000 for reconnection fee; and domestic customers will pay $25,000 for the tamper fee and $6,000 for the reconnection fee.
Aaron noted that GWI was dismayed to find that very prominent business people were tampering with the water meters, and making illegal reconnections to avoid making payments to the GWI. He pointed out that businesses in Central Georgetown have engaged in efforts outside of GWI’s established system to avoid paying reconnection fees to GWI.
Last week, GWI embarked on a countrywide disconnection campaign for outstanding water charges. The disconnection campaign had originally commenced in December 2011. To date, approximately 15,000 customers have been disconnected.
GWI has discovered that customers are reconnecting their services illegally. GWI has a zero-tolerance policy for persons who refuse to pay charges for water, and any customer who illegally reconnects his/her service will be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of the Water and Sewage Act 2002.
According to GWI’s Chief Executive Officer (ag.) Nigel Niles, “All customers who are illegally connecting their services will face legal action and fines. Disconnected customers are urged to visit the nearest GWI office to make payments or enter into a payment plan, and not tamper with their services. It is imperative that these customers contact us regarding their arrears,” Niles warned. “Failure to do this may prove even more costly should the matter be brought before a court of law”.
A customer found to be illegally reconnected may be made to pay a tamper fee of $25,000, and a reconnection fee of $6000, in order to have the service restored.