Dear Claudienne,

I live in Florida and I own a home in Montego Bay that I have rented. In November 2, 2022 my tenant informed me that the NWC meter at the property was spinning very fast. On November 4, 2022, the NWC did an inspection but said that they could not locate a leak. On the NWC’s recommendation I got a licensed plumber to do an inspection of the property. He found underground leaks and charged me $170,000.00 to repair them.

A text alert from NWC on November 15, 2022, informed my tenant that the amount owed for water was now $1,580,357.42 and that it should be paid by December 5, 2022. At that time I learned from the NWC that from November 2021 to November 2022 when the underground leak was discovered, they had been generating estimated bills for the premises.

After I contacted the NWC the water supply at the property was disconnected and when I came to Jamaica, they told me on December 12, 2022 that to have it reconnected, I would have to make payment arrangements for 36 months starting with a down payment of $300,000.00, and sign an agreement to make monthly payments. I had no other choice at the time but to agree to the terms and make the necessary payment to get the water reconnected.

On December 14, 2022 I sent e-mail correspondence to the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) as I was not in agreement with how this situation was handled. The NWC bill for the premises went from $9,648.28 on November 1, 2022 to $1,580,357.42 on November 15, 2022.

I would appreciate your input in this matter.

EG

Dear EG,

In a WhatsApp conversation you told Tell Claudienne that your tenant had been receiving estimated bills prior to her discovery that the meter was spinning at a fast rate. However, when the NWC was asked by the column to clarify why the meter was not read for an extended period of time, they responded as follows:

NWC meter readings were taken on a monthly basis except for September 2022. Please note that the account was reconnected on August 5, 2022 and the first bill generated thereafter on 9th September (estimated). All bills subsequent were actual readings (ie the account was billed for the reading taken in October 2022 and all subsequent months).

“As the bills were allegedly being estimated, please clarify how the NWC arrived at the $1,664,639.88 billing for the premises,” Tell Claudienne asked the NWC.

The NWC stated the following:-

“The Account was billed for the reading taken in October 2022. In November 2022 a request was received for a leak detection which was done and the findings communicated to him. (see attached).

We again highlight a payment arrangement was offered and accepted by the customer to allow for reconnection and settlement of the account. Despite the customer defaulting on the payment commitment, the NWC remains willing to have further discussions with the customer in this regard.

The Customer may contact our Customer Service Manager at 876-833-4158 or via e-mail to marcelyn.murray@nwc.com.jm. Appointment may be necessary.

Please note that before contacting the NWC or a plumber, or noticing a significant increase in your NWC bill, customers can themselves check for potential leaks on their property by going to the meter every three or four months and doing a preliminary check.

The NWC said that if you have a new digital meter you should lock off all the pipes on the premises, then use your finger to cover the knob on the meter. If the plus sign appears on the face of the meter this means that there are no leaks on the premises.

If you have an old water meter on your premises you will see a dial that can be coloured either red or black. If after turning off all the pipes on the premises you see the triangle moving, it could mean that there is a leak somewhere.

We wish you all the best.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 876- 936-9436 or Cell # 876-484-1349 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-421/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail:edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.