These darn NWC estimated bills

Dear Editor,

Through this medium, I am registering the concern of a member of my family who, it would appear, is being blatantly victimised by the National Water Commission (NWC).

Essentially, nothing was wrong with the initial water meter at her residence. Regardless, the NWC indicated that it was undertaking upgrading of meters in keeping with technological advancements. That upgrading has been her downfall. Why? Estimated bills!

The NWC was contacted, more than a couple of times, in order to ascertain why, after the installation of the hi-tech meter, the water bills had increased so astronomically, even though my law-abiding, bill-paying relative was being deprived of the commodity, sometimes for days, in the Kingston 20 area, where there was no problem with access to water before.

It has to stop, though. If the meter which was installed in 2018 is defective, then surely representatives from the NWC should have noticed, since it was installed by the said agency. In addition, no meter reader had been denied access to the premises at any time. Hence, the solution can never be the ‘pawn’ known as estimated bill.

Customers who are paying ought not to be penalised for doing just that. They should not be used as sacrificial lambs for their fellow non-bill-paying citizens, as a former politician had suggested.

In addition, uncouth, ill-attired representatives alighting from unmarked vehicles seem quite ‘low-tech’ and out of place as the modern, hi-tech faces of the NWC.

Messrs Mark Barnett, Andrew Cannon and associates must come to understand that committed citizens really cannot afford to spend their days trying to stave off the dastardly COVID-19 and other everyday challenges and, at the same time, seek to be unduly preoccupied with estimated water bills.

Please, this indiscretion must stop!

Erica Brown Marriott c/o piapam2014@gmail.com