NWC adjusts bills after Claudienne’s intervention
Dear Claudienne,
In the section of Hannah Town where I live the water supply from the National Water Commission has been irregular. Because of the poor water supply FM, one of my neigbours, wrote the following letter to the NWC:
“My name is FM and I reside at Block 41 at Upper West Street, Hannah Town, Kingston. I am very disgruntled with the NWC installation of this water project. This project was started, I believe, in February 2020 where people from NWC came to install a pipeline system which I believe was a very sloppy and poorly done system.
“I have not been getting water on my premises for years and have been getting water from neighbours and family members when water is in their lines. The Hannah Town community was told that this new system would resolve our water issues however we have not been getting water on a regular basis and the bills are ridiculously high. How can a household with two people be getting a water bill for $248,692.81? That was the sum of money on the first bill that I received in June 2020.
I do not understand my current bill that is approximately $303,000.00 and that has current charges ranging from $4,000.00 to about $8,000.00. How can that be the current charges when a lock-off was placed on my pipe? Because of the lock-off on the pipe I am only getting little drips or droplets in the low pipe in my yard.
In late February/early March last year when they did the installation of the new pipeline it was poorly done because later that night the pipe was loose and the water ran to waste until the morning when they came to fix it. Please note that the NWC workers who did the pipe installation were not properly equipped and I had to assist and get the necessary fixtures. I had to replace the elbow with caps and caps with elbows and then install the lock-off.
As stated, my first bill came in June and, after seeing the exorbitant figure, I made a complaint to the NWC. They sent a technician to check to see if we were getting water and they discovered that we were not. On July 24, 2020 four technicians came to my neighbour’s premises after she complained that she had not been getting water but was getting ridiculous bills. At that time I asked them to check my line and, on doing so, they noted that the little drip of water that I was getting was insufficient to run into the pipes.
This is foolishness. We need water, correct bills, and a proper system. We need NWC technicians to come to the area to rectify this issue. How can a household of two be gettiñg these bills when we are not getting any water? This is rubbish! These bills need to be written off. My neighbours are getting ridiculous bills and they are not getting any water. Note that I have attached copies of my bills.”
I seek your urgent assistance to get the NWC to address our problem,
FL
Dear FL,
Tell Claudienne has been in communication with the NWC regional manager for Kingston and St Andrew and St Thomas.
On January 20, 2023 Tell Claudienne received the following e-mail from the NWC.
“Please be advised that, having reviewed our records and further to our discussions regarding same, we have done two adjustments as follows:
• $76,015.85 : Charges for March were reviewed at average due to leak repaired at meter. Note that only one of the 2 high months was adjusted based on the fact that the repair was done in the same month of leak.
• $63,637.72 : Discretionary write-off of 40 per cent for April in a bid to bring this matter to a close. The balance on the account is now $158, 489.81.”
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.