The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) has instituted two measures that have begun to save the cash-strapped company millions of dollars.
Chairman of WASA, Romney Thomas, said the authority had significantly cut back on the number of vehicles they rented, while they have scaled down on awarding of contracts.
These two measures, Thomas said, have resulted in WASA saving millions of dollars.
He was commenting one day after he vowed to go after delinquent customers who owe WASA $250 million in arrears.
Customers who refuse to pay WASA for water they were billed, Thomas said, may face the courts and lose their properties.
WASA’s annual shortfall between revenue and expenditure was in excess of $1 billion, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said last Friday.
In a bid to make WASA less reliant on State funding, Thomas said the company had placed “less reliance on contractors” for services by utilising the “the capacity and capability” of its own workforce to get projects done.
“We have a large workforce. So basically what we have done... we have been able to tap into that workforce rather than award contracts for jobs. We have workers who are able, willing and are paid to do a job. WASA has been putting them to use now.”
One way WASA has been trimming its fat and cutting out wastages was by slashing the number of vehicles it rented for site visits, testing at various locations and security purposes.
“There were a large number of vehicles that WASA rented in the past which we have scaled down on considerably... to the point where we can still carry out our operations successfully.
“For the past year we have been looking at the rental of vehicles very closely. That has resulted in tremendous savings for us.”
Giving an update about the 43 local and foreign companies that have expressed an interest to build and operate Tobago’s first million-dollar desalination plant at the Cove Industrial Estate, Thomas said of those companies 11 would be asked to submit proposals for the construction of the plant.
“That is supposed to go out shortly. That is going to be embarked on soon,” Thomas said.
When will WASA implement its metering system?
Thomas said that was one issue WASA had put on its front burner.
“When we get a rate increase for water (by the Regulated Industries Commission) we would like to do it in conjunction with a metering programme.
“Ultimately, the consumer would decide how much water they want to spend on their water bill every month. This also helps with demand management in terms of you pay for what you use. People would be a little more conscientious in the way they use water,” he added.
Thomas said WASA was in the process of doing “a diagnostic assessment” to determine how it should go forward with the programme, which it would implement on a phased basis.
He also agreed with the public that WASA had to improve its service.