122,000 don’t pay WASA bills

Operating at a deficit for years the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is being owed $356 million by approximately 122,000 customers. Earning a mere $561 million a year, WASA’s expenditure is $1.7 billion. For that kind of expenditure, Persad-Bissessar, who is recovering from the virus, said Government has demanded a dramatic transformation and improvement of the country’s water supply from WASA. The revelation was made by Persad-Bissessar yesterday while delivering the feature address at the commissioning of the Talparo Portable Water Treatment Plant which was attended by Public Utilities Minister Emmanuel George, WASA’s CEO Ganga Singh, La Horquetta/Talparo MP Jairam Seemungal and residents in the community.

The plant will benefit 2,200 households. Persad-Bissessar said WASA must meet new targets and achieve viability. Stating that WASA’s institutions have been neglected for decades, Persad-Bissessar said the water company has projected to turn the deficit into a five per cent surplus on its operations. As WASA moves to achieve financial viability, she urged customers to meet their bill payments on time. WASA has over 381,000 customers. Only 259,000 pay their quarterly bills.

“As I pointed out $356 million is owed by domestic customers.” She said WASA will make every effort to collect their monies as they embark on a disconnection drive. Persad-Bissessar said that WASA will negotiate funding with the IDB to the tune of US$50 million to help with refurbishment and linking of wastewater plants.