AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has tasked the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), to find a lasting solution to water bill disputes and complaints from customers.
Jumaa Aweso, the Deputy Minister for Water issued the directives in his meeting with management of the authority which is potentially charged with regulating water pricing and quality control among other things.
“We have a major problem, and it is on the water billing system. Some utilities have been hiking bills without receiving approvals from the regulator,” he said, adding.
It is unfortunate that even meter readings are not properly conducted, yet customers are threatened with water disconnection.
According to the deputy minister, Ewura had worked perfectly in regulating fuel pricing, and that itÕs high time it embarks on unscheduled inspections of water meters across the country.
Mr Aweso believed that should Ewura move fast enough to monitor the whole process (reading and pricing), it can help scare and subsequently end these acts conducted by dishonest utilities who impose unreasonable water bills to their customers.
Sharing his testimony, the deputy minister said he too had suffered outrageously from two water readers in his Dar es Salaam residence, when they consistently threatened to disconnect his meter without consulting the landlord.
“They became angry when I requested them to allow me to read the water meter … until when they realised that I was a government official, that is when they started apologising,” he said, saying he pities helpless individuals who have been facing this kind of treatment with no one to defend them.
He said that his ministry has received endless complaints on the quality of water being supplied, and that it was the work of the regulator to ensure the problem is fixed once and for all.
Mr Aweso was concerned how a household can use 50 buckets of water a day, which clearly indicates that either they are overcharged or they are not well educated on the best way to use the precious liquid.
Titus Safari, the Acting Director of Water and Sanitation at Ewura, told the Deputy Minister that the authority had noted a potential increase in complaints related to water billing.
He detailed that the dispute holds 65.8 per cent of all complaints registered at the authority last year.
Other complaints included tariffs (7.9 per cent), unreliable water supply (7.4 per cent), delayed connection (6.3 per cent), and disconnections (6.3 per cent).
He also admitted that there has been a problem among water utilities in their treatment plants, since only 8 out of 63 utilities had conventional water treatment plants.
At least 54 utilities use disinfection system while 19 utilities have no treatment system.
“We urge water authorities to invest in water treatment plants to improve water quality,” he said, noting further that water quality compliance is currently above 80 per cent.
Eng Godfrey Chibulunje, Ewura’s Acting Director-General, assured the deputy minister that his team will meanwhile work on a plan to ensure all regulated utilities comply with the existing laws, rules and regulations.
