Latest update April 7th, 2026 12:30 AM
15,000 GWI customers disconnected over last two months
– service restoration can cost over $30,000
Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has disconnected an estimated 15,000 customers in the last two months as the utility company moves to recover outstanding payments.
A further 85,000 customers risk having their service disrupted if payments are not made as soon as possible.
The campaign for outstanding water charges started last month, but the company now has to deal with customers who have sought to reconnect to the water mains illegally.
“GWI has a zero tolerance policy for persons who refuse to pay for water charges and will prosecute any customer who reconnects themselves, in accordance with the provisions of the Water and Sewage Act 2002,” GWI’s Chief Executive (a.g) Nigel Niles declared.
“All customers who are illegally connecting their services will face legal action and fines,” he stated.
Disconnected customers are urged to visit the nearest GWI office to clear their outstanding payments or enter into a payment plan and not tamper with their services.
“It is imperative that these customers contact us regarding their arrears,” warned Niles. “Failure to do this may prove even more costly should the matter be brought before a Court of Law.”
Customers found illegally reconnected may be made to pay a tamper fee of $25,000 and a reconnection fee of $6,000 in order to have their service restored.
“For the greater part of the year we attempted to educate our customers, through our various public education programmes, about the importance of payment. Unfortunately, we continue to have large amounts of debt on our database including customers who have not even paid for the first quarter of 2011.”
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