NWC Appeals to Delinquent Customers to Settle Arrears

Commission to step up revenue collection activities

With billions owed to the National Water Commission (NWC), the company is again urging delinquent customers to settle their outstanding water bills to avoid disconnection.

Mark Barnett, president of the NWC, made the call during the NWC’s Quarterly Press Briefing that was held on Thursday, May 20, 2021. He explained that the company is continuing with its Disconnection Drive in order to collect money from customers who owe the NWC.

During the first quarter of 2021, Barnett said that the NWC targeted close to 22,000 accounts for disconnection, totalling approximately $2.3 billion. However, the company only managed to disconnect 17,862 accounts, valuing $1.93 billion.

Of that number, less than 10,000 customers got reconnected. These reconnections resulted in only $500 million in collections between January and April 2021.

“That is not sufficient to undertake all that we have to do as a utility,” Barnett said.

He said that the NWC needs this money to upgrade its infrastructure, bring water to more Jamaicans and fix leaks. He further explained that the NWC must pay the National Works Agency to repair roads after laying and fixing pipelines, and a huge sum also goes to the Jamaica Public Service as electricity is required to pump the water to customers.

Therefore, Barnett said that it is critical for the NWC to collect from delinquent customers.

He noted that customers sometimes get upset when their water supply is disconnected. However, “the fact is, you ought not forget to pay your water bill. It is the only commodity you can’t live without,” Barnett added.

In the same breath, Barnett said that the NWC recently sent out 163 demand letters urging delinquent customers to settle their debts.

“It simply means that those customers who would have received those letters, our next step is heading to the courts,” he said. “So we would rather collect. We would rather, even when you get these letter, you contact us, make arrangements, pay up, rather than head to the courts because where we may head next is forfeiture of your property.”

The Disconnection Drive and the NWC’s decision to send demand letters to some customers come after the commission provided assistance through the NWC CAP (COVID-19 Assistance Programme). However, Barnett said: “There is no initiative coming that is going to give any concession to customers on any wide-scale way.”

Instead, he said that the NWC will be working to collect outstanding sums.

“While it may be construed that NWC may have not been very serious about collecting its revenue, we are now taking the necessary steps to ensure that customers take us seriously. It is a work in progress, but the team is committed to making this happen,” Barnett said.