WASA’s ‘name and shame’ drive continues

The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has embarked on a “name and shame” disconnection component of its revenue collection drive to recover $506 million in outstanding rates owed by domestic and commercial customers. The exercise, which began on Wednesday, targeted residential properties at Gull Trace and Sapphire Avenue, Maloney; Mahogany Drive and Park Avenue, New Settlement, Sangre Grande and commercial establishments in Woodbrook. Eastern Main Road, Barataria and Western Main Road, Carenage.
Among the business concerns disconnected was a popular liming spot on Ariapita Avenue for an outstanding sum of $3,538.78.

The arrears were paid on Thursday morning via a commercial bank—the reconnection fee of $500 was applied and the service restored. The water supply of a security company was also switched off for an unpaid $14,656.57. In Tobago, the water supply to some properties at Les Coteau, Montgomery Sou Sou Land; Mt Pleasant Dirt Road, Golden Lane; Culloden; Bloody Bay, Roxborough; Black Road Junction; Felicity Heights Trace, Whim; Top Hill Road, Mason Hall; Zion Hill Belle Garden; Ixora Drive Coral Gardens; Belle Cottage Road, Signal Hill; Robinson Trace, Patience Hill; Middle Ridge; Old Ground, Golden Lane; Hampden Lowlands; Union Trace and Canaan Milford Road was taken off. Customers in arrears, whose accounts are due for disconnection, can go into any of the utility’s rate payment centres throughout T&T to settle the outstanding sum.

In this way, premises scheduled for disconnection would be immediately removed from the disconnection listing. Customers should notify the cashiers that their service is due for disconnection. The disconnection element of the WASA’s Revenue Collection Drive will continue in areas throughout the country. After a lapse of eight years, the utility was granted approval in October 2010 to resume disconnections for nonpayment of rates.

Apart from disconnection for water rates due and owing, the Water and Sewerage Act Chapter 54:40 also empowers the WASA:
• to levy by distress in respect of arrears of the water rate due and owing,
• to initiate civil proceedings in respect of arrears of the water,
• to sell the captioned property and use the respective portion of the proceeds of sale to settle the outstanding debt,
• to recover the outstanding rates by deduction of same from any rent owed to the owner by an occupier of the premises.