RIC assures: Water metering would be fair

THE REGULATED Industries Commission (RIC) is assuring a water-metering system will be fair to local customers.

The commission is the statutory body that regulates the water, wastewater and electricity sectors in TT. It is also responsible for recommending rate increases for water and electricity.

On Thursday, speaking at the RIC's webinar on Sustainable Water Delivery, assistant executive director of economics and research at the RIC, Rishi Maharaj, said one way to achieve water efficiency was to improve technical aspects of the water services as well as the management.

He said water-use efficiency was different from water conservation since its focus was to reduce the wasting of water.

Citizens, he said, can do their part by investing in equipment to achieve that, including using low-flow shower heads and low-volume toilet tanks.

Also speaking at the webinar, RIC's standards engineer Victor Rodriguez said the average water production was 218 million imperial gallons per day but 50 per cent of that would be deemed non-revenue water.

He said with the flat rate for water, there was no incentive to conserve or monitor water usage.

Rodriguez said only four per cent of WASA's customers were currently using the water metered system and these were industrial and commercial buildings.

He said the meter system would be fair since customers will only be required to pay for what they use and will be notified about leaks on their property.

He added the metering system would also be beneficial to WASA as it can provide more monitoring and less non-revenue water which would save operational costs.

Rodriguez said the non-revenue water saved can go to areas that experience an unreliable water supplies.

Hinting at possible increased water rates, Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales said WASA was heavily funded by the Government for its day-to-day operations. He said it was for this reason, the utility recently completed its business plan which it intends to send to the RIC as an application for a rate review for water.

He also said the authority was working on repairing outdated water transmission mains as well as reducing the amount of water lost by leaks.

Gonzales also disclosed WASA will also be looking at implementing ten modular water treatment plants in the central and south areas of Trinidad with the help of international bodies.

He said these plants will be more reliable and efficient since they are expected to produce 20 million gallons of water.

In addition to this, Gonzales said the ministry has signed an agreement for a National Rain Water Harvest Programme with the RIC as a cheaper alternative for the population since they are anticipating a 40 per cent decrease in water supply by 2030.

He said this is to combat the problems more than 50 per cent of citizens are facing with their scheduled water access with 35 per cent getting water for three days or less.

Gonzales said he hopes to get 70 per cent of the population a round-the-clock water supply as Cabinet has approved this plan which will be carried out for the next three years.