Dear Claudienne

I need your help with a problem I am having with the National Water Commission. I live in Irwin, St James, five miles out of Montego Bay.

I have been a customer of the NWC for more than 20 years, but was disconnected in February 2007 because of an astronomically high bill.

Prior to the disconnection I was not receiving bills regularly and had even written to them on 22/4/05 to point out that I had received no bills from August 2004 to April 2005. I had to keep calling to find out the amount owing.

I got no bill in September 2007, then the following month after calling the NWC, I got a bill for $84,086.66. A customer agent advised me to pay the amount I usually paid and an investigation would be done. At that time the NWC speculated that persons must have connected their pipes on my line. The November 2007 bill was $105,807.51 even though most of the time there was no water running through the taps.

The next bill was $128,460.42, at which time I was told by a customer service supervisor that NWC tests had shown that the toilet tanks were leaking water and were the reason the bills were so high.

However, the explanation from the NWC did not seem plausible to me because I did not have sewage, but a pit. I was of the view that some of that water leakage would have surfaced somewhere in my yard or would have been running down the incline I live on.

There were also frequent lock-offs in the area and a plumber told me that I would need a non-return valve to prevent the water from going back through the meter. He explained that when there were lock-offs, the water was sucked back through the meter and that I was billed for every drop of water going back and forth through the meter.

A few months ago, I spoke to a customer care agent and voiced my intention of paying $6,000.00 and the reconnection fee then paying the balance within a year. To date I have paid $62,000 but they said I must pay an additional $30,000 and the reconnection fee to have the water restored.

All this time I have been getting water from my neighbour. However, I am now trying to work out a payment plan with the NWC so I can have my water reconnected.

However, there has been no response from the NWC to my payment plan. Please see what you can find out for me.

PT

Dear PT

We contacted the NWC and note that they called you the following day and agreed to your payment plan. Tell Claudienne further notes that your water was restored after you paid $6,000 and the reconnection fee. You have also been given a 25 per cent discount or $16,000 off the remaining balance.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 511-2436 or write to: Tell Claudienne, c/o Sunday Finance Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com