PAY UP! WASA threatens to seize businesses

The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) will sell the properties of its most recalcitrant commercial and residential customers in the next stage of debt collection, says chairman Romney Thomas.

At present, he said, errant customers owe over $500 million in debts, and in turn WASA owes “a huge unpaid debt to contractors.”

As a result, he said, “We plan to advertise some properties for sale for the most errant customers. Those mainly in the commercial areas are targeted at this point,

“Certainly before the end of the year we intend to advertise some properties.”

In his welcome address at yesterday’s commissioning of the McKai Booster Station, Belmont, Thomas said WASA will take drastic steps “to ensure that outstanding rates are paid by using the tools in its legislative arsenal to recover outstanding rates, which may lead to the sale of properties of the most recalcitrant of customers.”

This action was being taken after writing to certain clients, he said, and failing to get them to work out payment plans “notwithstanding our best efforts.”

The debt was “way too much to have out there when at the same time we are struggling to pay contractors. It is our duty to recover that money,” he said, explaining that the sale of properties falls under the Rates and Recovery Act.

Consideration was being given to needy communities and each customer was being treated on a case-by-case basis, he said, but the intended actions were in keeping with Government’s mandate to increase the collection of outstanding rates, eliminate wastage at all levels, and improve operational efficiency.

To eliminate wastage, Thomas said, several contracts were discontinued in instances where the work could be done in-house, which had resulted in savings of hundreds of millions of dollars. He raised the points, he said, against the background of the McKai Booster project, which was done by in-house staff and saved the company $900,000.

Recently, said Thomas, WASA commissioned a pipeline project in Fishing Pond, Sangre Grande for 278 households using in-house staff. Other such projects to be completed in the coming weeks and months include Mc David Intake, to increase the supply in Lopinot, Caiman Booster, to improve service in St Joseph, new wells in Arouca and Tucker Valley, and installing new pipes from South Oropouche to La Brea.

Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte said although WASA provides coverage to over 92 per cent of the population, “Only 38 per cent of the population has access to pipe-borne water 24/7.”

Expressing support for the measures it was taking to collect unpaid rates, he said Government subsidises WASA to the tune of almost $3 billion annually. A household pays about $3 a day for water, one of the lowest rates in the western hemisphere.