07 Mar 2021

Water Utilities Corporation’s (WUC) domestic debt has increased from P700 million to over P1.1 billion country wide, hence the corporation’s move to reduce water pressure for customers still owing huge amounts.

WUC lead engineer in the Ghanzi region, Mr Omphemetse Kealeboga, said this when addressing Ghanzi East Sub-council recently.

Mr Kealeboga said people were reluctant to settle their monthly bills as stipulated in their contract following the issuance of a directive to reconnect those who were disconnected.

“We are not disconnecting them, we are just doing what is called pressure monitoring exercise, we only reduce pressure to just allow dripping of tap for washing hands,” he explained.

He said the corporation was not defying the said directive, but encouraging customers to pay and then they would restore pressure.

He said in areas like Gaborone, the exercise was bearing fruits and there was positive feedback since as people were coming forth to pay their bills.

In Ghanzi, he said, the pressure monitoring exercise started on March 4 and so far they had reduced pressure to eight customers.

In the first batch, he added, they had 188 customers whose water pressure would be reduced.

Furthermore, he explained that the corporation was only dealing with residential and commercial plots, saying with government institutions, the corporation would approach ministries first. ends