WASA disconnection drive in full gear

A San Fernando resident who was 13 years in arrears to the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) was the first customer to have his water supply cut as the utility kicked off a disconnection drive to recover some $.5 billion yesterday. The customer, located at Chisholm Street, had accumulated arrears totalling $68,352.45. The utility’s General Manager Corporate Communications, Ellen Lewis, said the exercise was necessary because some 68,000 domestic and commercial customers are in arrears to the utility. “The campaign so far is going exceedingly well. It’s very effective. We have had a rush at our payment centres,” she said. Lewis said yesterday was the first time since 2002 that WASA had embarked on a disconnection drive.

“We have been constrained for some ten years in disconnecting customers owing us money. We have now been cleared to proceed and now we are pursuing all disconnections to recover all sums owed to us,” she explained. Lewis said many State entities are in arrears and have been warned to pay their bills as no one will be spared in the current revenue collection drive. Two WASA employees were among those earmarked for disconnection yesterday. “Every single customer of WASA is being targeted. Nobody is being spared, nobody will escape disconnection or civil proceedings if they fail to pay WASA,” she said. A team of WASA officials and a full disconnection crew with a backhoe went to Chrisholm Street, San Fernando, where they started the disconnection drive.

“We are moving on this customer and others throughout the country today (yesterday) and continuing everyday until we recover every sum owing to WASA,” Lewis declared. Customers in Port-of-Spain, Diego Martin, Cunupia and St James were also disconnected yesterday. A customer at Egypt Trace, Endeavour, was disconnected for arrears in excess of $16,000. The bills had remained unpaid for ten years. The proprietor of a business place at Madras Street, St James had his water supply turned off for arrears of $33,417 accrued over the past four years. In addition, the service of a WASA employee, resident at Vernon Glean Avenue, Real Spring, Valsayn, was disconnected for arrears of $3,830.50.