Dear Editor,
My relatives and I, who reside at Lot 178 Campbellville Housing Scheme, are enduring days of suffering at the hands of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) because a water bill for $3,345 was not paid on time. To add to the misery when the owner of the property, Deborah Fraser, went to pay the bill, she was shocked to learn that she had to pay a reconnection fee of $6,000.
Things began to unravel when it was discovered on October 10 that there was no water running. Further investigations revealed a dug up spot near the pipe that is connected to the water meter. It was realised at this point that the water had been disconnected. There was nothing that could be done then because the office would have been closed until Monday and we had no choice but to make do with what we had.
Meters were installed in the Scheme sometime late last year and so far, a total of three bills were sent to each household, one for each quarter. Never once was a bill not paid or paid late except for the third one because the bill had initially been misplaced.
Early Monday morning, the bill was paid in full at the Church Street and Vlissengen Road branch of GWI and even the employees tending to it did not understand why it was disconnected in the first place. Nevertheless we were told that a reconnection fee of $6000 had to be paid.
Around 1:30 pm on the same day I saw two men who arrived on bicycles digging up the very spot that was dug up on Friday while using a series of expletives and calling each other names over what seemed to have been some money issue. I noticed one of the men sawing a piece of pipe. Of course I did not bother to ask because I assumed that they were there to reconnect the water supply since to my knowledge the bill had been paid that morning. However this was not the case, as no water was flowing through the taps after the men left.
The following day the reconnection fee was paid in full and the opportunity was taken to enquire about what the men were doing and what was the reason for the disconnection. A woman I spoke to could not give an explanation as to what the men were doing and repeatedly told me that she did not understand why the water was disconnected in the first place. She went on to explain that water is disconnected once several bills have not been paid. Up to midday yesterday the water supply had not been restored.
There are a few questions I would like to be answered by the relevant authorities at GWI because this was an unfair disconnection especially given the fact that bills were always paid on time and not forgetting the amount was a small sum.
What gives GWI the right to demand such a high fee? Guyanese are already struggling to put food on their table, take care of their children with limited resources and paying other bills – GPL and GT&T. The reconnection fee of the other two utility companies is either half or less than that of GWI.
Don’t GWI officials have a conscience when it comes to Guyanese who are trying to live honest lives and who work hard for every dollar that they earn? And lastly what are the criteria for disconnection? Is it the non-payment of just one bill?
Yours faithfully,
Zoisa Fraser
Editor’s note: A copy of this letter is being sent to GWI for any comments it may wish to make.
