06 Jun 2021

Water utilities Corporation (WUC) says it has seen an increase in non-payment of water bills and the continued growth of debt, which was now in excess of P1 billion.

The corporations’ strategy and corporate affairs director, Mr Peter Sedingwe said in response, the corporation had engaged private companies to collect the outstanding payments.

When responding to a questionnaire from BOPA recently, he said since the declaration of the state of the emergency and the decision for the corporation not to cut off water supply to all its customers; despite the state of their accounts, the bills had gone unpaid, leading to the adoption of the intervention to mitigate further losses and recover some of the money owed.

Mr Sedingwe said effective July 1, any account which is owing, with no payment plan arranged, would be handed over to the debt collectors.

He revealed that a public notice that customers were to pay their existing water bills or enter into payment plans with Water utilities Corporationwas sent at the end of April, giving customers two months to regularise their accounts. He said names of debt collecting companies that would be engaged by the corporation shall be published from July 1, when the exercise begins.

Mr Sedingwe said the overall debt was for business, government and domestic customers, noting, however, that the bulk of it was domestic water consumption.

He said Water utilities Corporation acknowledged the impact that COVID-19 had had on the overall economy and expected engagement by customers on debt management, more so that some of the debt predates COVID-19.

He encouraged customers to pay and avoid being handed over to debt collectors or be prosecuted. ENDS