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60 percent of GWI customers illegally reconnect services
GWI crew at work in Georgetown
A high percentage of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) customers have illegally re-connected their service and the company is fighting back.
A survey conducted last month of a sample of customers found that 60 percent of 700 Georgetown customers have illegally reconnected their water service after being disconnected for overdue balances.
The survey revealed that these customers, the majority of whom are domestic customers illegally reconnected over the past several months.
As a result, the utility company has intensified its disconnection and service removal campaign across the capital city, with a particular focus on those who have illegally reconnected.
GWI’s Revenue Manager for Georgetown, Nicholas Dawalat stated that the company is currently in the Queenstown area and is planning to venture out to the various wards in Georgetown such as Stabroek, Albertown and Charlestown.
Dawalat indicated that illegal reconnections result in a reduced level of service to customers, loss in revenue and contamination in the lines, which compromises the quality of water provided to customers.
He further added that the company’s loss in revenue also affects its ability to purchase chemicals to treat water to ensure that the quality meets World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, as well as its ability to pay its workers.
Dawalat highlighted that disconnections and service removals are GWI’s last resorts, after their numerous attempts to reach out to customers prove futile. Customers are given 28 days after their bill is due to clear their balance or the option to take advantage of the utility’s wallet-friendly payment plans.
If they fail to do so, their service is disconnected and they are given an additional 28 days to pay their reconnection fee, before their service is removed. The cost for reconnection for domestic customers is $7,500 and $16,000 for commercial customers, whereas the replacement fee for both categories is $20,000.
The Revenue Manager took the opportunity to point out that GWI targets all categories indebted customers, irrespective of whether they are domestic or commercial.
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