Lim: Water depts must not cut supply

Sunday Star 29/8/2004

Penang: Water supply departments and agencies must not cut off supply to the poor even if they did not pay their bills, said Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik.

He said water was an essential commodity and consumers, especially the poor, should not be deprived of supply , as having access to water was the right of every citizen.

Dr Lim said the supplying agencies must look for different solutions for people who could not afford to pay for their usage.

"In developed nations like Britain, the government made it unlawful for operators to cut the water supply to consumers even if they fail to pay their bills as having water supply is a matter of survival," He said at the Penang Water Supply Corporation's fifth anniversary dinner at a hotel here on Friday.

The minister also noted that the corporation was the first water supplier in the country to set up a 24-hour call centre.

He said the ministry would be setting up the National Water Services  Commission early next year to act as a regulator for the water services industry.

Dr Lim also said the Penang corporations' successful water revenue management system would be used as a benchmark for other states as the state had a low non-revenue water rate of 19.8%.

"This is equivalent to the rate enjoyed by some of the developed countries as even our national average rate is at 45%," he said, adding that non-revenue water was physical and commercial loss of water due to factors such as pipe leakages.

He said Penang's water revenue management system, which comprises an impressive billing system, meter management system, Geographical Information System and call centres, had enabled the state water corporation to collect 98% of the bills sent out and succeed in reducing the rate of pipe leakages to 98%.