Crackdown on water thieves
Aug 08, 2009
<b> NWSC cracks down on water thieves: Schools biggest culprits</b> <br><br>The National Water and Sewerage Corporation has been carrying out a crackdown on illegal water use. CHRIS KIWAWULO of Saturday Vision followed the team and brings you an account
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation has been carrying out a crackdown on illegal water use. CHRIS KIWAWULO of Saturday Vision followed the team and brings you an account of how it was done...
NWSC cracks down on water thieves: Schools biggest culprits
At King Fahd Islamic Primary School in Busega, Rubaga Division, there are four meters. The meter recorded at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) was reading zero, yet water was being used.
The other three meters were loosely fitted. NWSC took all the defective meters, which Yann Jondeau, who heads the Revenue Protection Unit, said were not issued by them.
According to NWSC accounts, the day and boarding private school registered under the names of Sula Magala, has an outstanding bill of over sh3.8m.
But the teachers assured NWSC officials that they were not bothered by the disconnection.
“These are notorious water thieves. We have cut off their water over six times but they continue to use political interference to get the water back without paying the bills,†Jondeau stated.
He said any connected point is supposed to have one meter but the school had four. He hoped that the circulation of prepaid water meters countrywide would help fight theft. The meters have been introduced in Kampala.
Jondeau said each Ugandan is on average expected to use 5,000 litres of water per month. But the school, with over 1,000 pupils, uses only 20,000 litres. “That means there are about four people using the water here!â€
Pupils looked on as the NWSC officials took the meters and blocked the pipes.
Jondeau said school officials have been filling their underground tank of about 3,000 cubic meters with unbilled water.
Kampala City Council Primary School in Kamwokya, Central Division, was also a culprit of illegal connections.
The school had its water supply cut off several months ago and their water meter taken away after their bill accumulated to millions of shillings. They did not clear the debt but simply made two illegal connections from other lines.
The school tried to confuse the NWSC officials by joining their taps onto the national water line using a joint.
They would then stop the flow of water from the tank and use the illegally connected NWSC line.
Without saying a word to the NWSC officials, the headmistress Jane Kansiime drove away in a short chassis Pajero on seeing them unearth the illegal connections.
Teachers and pupils peeped from the classrooms on the one-storey block as NWSC officials cut off the water supply. Some of the pupils who had come to wash their plates after having lunch looked on helplessly as the water supply was cut off.
Several homes in Nateete, Busega and Kamwokya were also found with illegal connections. Some had water by-passes, while others had been disconnected but reconnected themselves. They do this by attaching a loop onto the main line to ensure continued water supply.
One culprit did not have any good words for NWSC officials after they discovered the illegal connection at his house.
“Do you think you will work for NWSC forever? You will also be fired one day. You did not start that company,†he snapped as they cut off his water supply.
Jondeau said the day school faces a fine of not less then sh2m.
The biggest culprits were commercial entities and well-to-do people, according to Jondeau.
He said the affected persons, whose water was disconnected, are supposed to report to the NWSC offices on Sixth Street in Industrial Area, Kampala.
Jondeau revealed that another school belonging to a senior retired UPDF officer in Ggaba, Makindye Division was also not paying water bills. “When you go there, this officer threatens to shoot you.†He said they decided take the matter up with the officer’s superiors.
NWSC cracks down on water thieves: Schools biggest culprits
At King Fahd Islamic Primary School in Busega, Rubaga Division, there are four meters. The meter recorded at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) was reading zero, yet water was being used.
The other three meters were loosely fitted. NWSC took all the defective meters, which Yann Jondeau, who heads the Revenue Protection Unit, said were not issued by them.
According to NWSC accounts, the day and boarding private school registered under the names of Sula Magala, has an outstanding bill of over sh3.8m.
But the teachers assured NWSC officials that they were not bothered by the disconnection.
“These are notorious water thieves. We have cut off their water over six times but they continue to use political interference to get the water back without paying the bills,†Jondeau stated.
He said any connected point is supposed to have one meter but the school had four. He hoped that the circulation of prepaid water meters countrywide would help fight theft. The meters have been introduced in Kampala.
Jondeau said each Ugandan is on average expected to use 5,000 litres of water per month. But the school, with over 1,000 pupils, uses only 20,000 litres. “That means there are about four people using the water here!â€
Pupils looked on as the NWSC officials took the meters and blocked the pipes.
Jondeau said school officials have been filling their underground tank of about 3,000 cubic meters with unbilled water.
Kampala City Council Primary School in Kamwokya, Central Division, was also a culprit of illegal connections.
The school had its water supply cut off several months ago and their water meter taken away after their bill accumulated to millions of shillings. They did not clear the debt but simply made two illegal connections from other lines.
The school tried to confuse the NWSC officials by joining their taps onto the national water line using a joint.
They would then stop the flow of water from the tank and use the illegally connected NWSC line.
Without saying a word to the NWSC officials, the headmistress Jane Kansiime drove away in a short chassis Pajero on seeing them unearth the illegal connections.
Teachers and pupils peeped from the classrooms on the one-storey block as NWSC officials cut off the water supply. Some of the pupils who had come to wash their plates after having lunch looked on helplessly as the water supply was cut off.
Several homes in Nateete, Busega and Kamwokya were also found with illegal connections. Some had water by-passes, while others had been disconnected but reconnected themselves. They do this by attaching a loop onto the main line to ensure continued water supply.
One culprit did not have any good words for NWSC officials after they discovered the illegal connection at his house.
“Do you think you will work for NWSC forever? You will also be fired one day. You did not start that company,†he snapped as they cut off his water supply.
Jondeau said the day school faces a fine of not less then sh2m.
The biggest culprits were commercial entities and well-to-do people, according to Jondeau.
He said the affected persons, whose water was disconnected, are supposed to report to the NWSC offices on Sixth Street in Industrial Area, Kampala.
Jondeau revealed that another school belonging to a senior retired UPDF officer in Ggaba, Makindye Division was also not paying water bills. “When you go there, this officer threatens to shoot you.†He said they decided take the matter up with the officer’s superiors.