NWC Reminds That Water Debts Are Tied to Land

The National Water Commission (NWC) is reminding landowners that, by law, water supply debts are tied to the land and remain due and payable to the NWC regardless of who may have used the water and caused the debt to be incurred.

Corporate Public Relations Manager at the NWC, Charles Buchanan, told JIS News that the agency is about to launch a far more aggressive revenue- collection campaign, and, as a result, decided to remind the public of this fact.

The National Water Commission (Water Supply Services) (Rates and Charges) Regulations of 1985 outlines that an occupier of a parcel of land is responsible for the payment of water bills in respect of the property.

He reminded customers looking to purchase property to check if any money is owed to the agency, in relation to outstanding water bills.

“They would need to get a statement from the National Water Commission to indicate that that property has no debt and, as at this date, there are no outstanding debts in relation to this property. These are letters we provide on a routine basis. This is usually requested by the persons owning the property at the time, and they then have that letter passed on to the purchasers,” Mr. Buchanan explained.
Meanwhile, he is reminding persons that the challenge of providing water supply services all across the country is a significant one.

“It takes funds to enable us to harness, treat and pump the water or have it conveyed via miles and miles of pipeline to get to persons. This comes at great cost to the Commission, and we need their cooperation in paying for the service they have received, if we are going to be able to continue to improve and expand water supply all across the country,” he said.

The NWC aims to increase its revenue collections through a range of improved activities, including incentives and rewards for on-time payment, special welcome-back initiatives, more convenient payment options, increased bill-payment reminders, quicker and more effective bill delivery, more efficient metering, more aggressive prosecution of delinquents, and other court action against persons and properties owing sums to the Commission.

For further information, persons may call 929-5430 or 1-888-CALL-NWC. You may also visit any NWC branch to check for outstanding water bills, or to explore possible payment plans.