THE water ministry yesterday sent home 10 parish managers and regional supervisors who were assigned to its Rapid Response Unit, in what the ministry said was the implementation of recommendations of the recent KPMG Peat Marwick audit, which looked at ways in which the unit and the National Water Commission (NWC) could improve efficiency.

At the same time, another manager, who was also removed from the unit, was transferred to the Government’s Urban Renewal Programme.

The posts of the former managers and supervisors will be advertised as vacant in the press in the coming weeks.

But, although the termination of the contracts of the water managers was also geared at cutting costs, Harry Douglas, the state minister in the Ministry of Water and Housing, could not say exactly how much money would be saved.

“I can’t say how much exactly,” he told the Observer last night.

The Rapid Response Unit, which was set up in May 2000 with 100 Mercedes Benz water trucks and trailers that were bought through a loan of US$10.5 million from the German company, Daimler-Chrysler, provides water to communities and schools. Its major customers are the NWC and parish councils which contract the unit in areas which have low or no water supply.

The unit, however, has been operating with sizable inefficiencies, and the water ministry commissioned a KPMG Peat Marwick audit two months ago to look at ways to improve efficiencies.

“We wanted efficiency and profitability. The programme had to be made viable and at the same time take care of the social needs,” Douglas said.

“The audit was about improving operational efficiencies,” added Christopher Castriota, public relations manager at the water ministry.

Meanwhile, the Fraud Squad has been called in to probe the alleged embezzlement of $1.5 million by an official from the Rapid Response Unit.

Castriota, however, made it clear that there was no connection between the sacking of the management team and the alleged fraud.

“The two are completely unrelated. What allegedly took place by the co-ordinator was done by one man not by the unit or the other managers,” asserted Castriota. “The audit was commissioned long before any of this (alleged fraud) happened.

“A co-ordinator of the Rapid Response Unit, in the central division, has tendered his resignation after investigations found that $1.5 million was missing in water sales,” said Castriota. “The Fraud Squad is investigating the alleged embezzlement by the co-ordinator,” he added.

The co-ordinator resigned this week, but his name is being withheld “as he is yet to be charged officially”, according to Castriota.