Arcadia property has plumbing deficiencies – NWC
THE NATIONAL Water Commission (NWC) has disputed claims by a senior citizen that his water bill has climbed to over $232,000 within a few months, although multiple inspections have shown that he does not have any leakages.
According to 80-year-old Roy Meikle, who resides at Strata #53, Central Acadia Court in St Andrew, more than one plumber has told him that he has no leakage.
In a Sunday Gleaner article published on March 25, 2018, he disputed the NWC charges, given the fact that he lives alone and often turns off his lock-off.
“I have made several complaints to the Water Commission and they have done nothing about it. They send people up here to look and see and they still don’t find any leak, and I am still getting that bill,” Meikle said.
“Don’t care how you go down there and talk to them, they would just say, ‘We are going to send somebody there to check it because there must be a leak somewhere’.”
But corporate public relations manager at the NWC, Charles Buchanan, has refuted Meikle’s claims in a letter to the editor.
“Despite any claims to the contrary, our last inspection of the premises in February revealed internal plumbing deficiencies that likely have been contributing to this consumption level,” Buchanan said.
“It is to be noted that the management of water usage and/or wastage on a property is entirely the responsibility of the customer, while the NWC’s responsibility is to provide an accurate bill based on a properly functioning meter. This the commission has done consistently.”
Buchanan noted that Meikle’s $232,733.92 bill represents a total of arrears accumulated over several months since 2016.
“The accumulated arrears on this account are compounded by a very infrequent payment pattern. In fact, since the account was established in May 2016, only two payments totalling $31,000 have been paid on this account, and one was only paid after a disconnection of the supply for non-payment,” he said.
NWC LENIENT
“It is also worth noting that the commission has not only been very lenient and extraordinarily considerate in its treatment of this account, but has checked and doublechecked its meter operations and billing, and held numerous discussions on the matter.”
Buchanan said that once there is a leak, it continues to flow 24 hours per day until it is fixed.
“We also ask that our customers take their responsibility to manage the usage or wastage of water on their properties seriously, as well as honour their obligations to pay for the water delivered to their premises in a timely manner,” he said.