by Linda Straker
- Unpaid rates and charges no longer lien against premises where debt is incurred
- New customers and those disconnected for arrears will pay service charge
- Adjustment went into effect on 1 June 2024
Government’s decision to amend the National Water and Sewerage Authority (Nawasa) legislation in late 2023 has resulted in all customers who are disconnected for arrears and those becoming new customers paying a service charge that will vary between EC$340 and EC$8,000.
“Previously, Nawasa would be confident that unpaid rates and charges could be recovered through a lien on the customer’s property, in accordance with Section 35(4) of the Nawasa Act. However, with the repeal of this section in December 2023 with the passage of the Nawasa Amendment Act 2023, arrears are no longer attached to property ownership, impacting our ability to recover unpaid rates and charges,” said a media release from Nawasa disseminated on 1 November. “To address these changes, Nawasa’s Board has directed Management to implement the charge for service universally, effective June 1, 2024. This adjustment ensures consistency and financial stability within our services.”
The amendment to the Nawasa Act mandates that unpaid water and sewerage rates and charges are no longer a lien against the premises in respect of which the debt is incurred.
During the debate to approve the bill, Ron Redhead, Member of Parliament for St George North-East who presented the bill, said that the amendment is long overdue because it will guarantee greater access to water. “An ordinary man in Grenada can apply to have pipe-borne water at his home regardless of if he owns the land to which he is built on,” he said. “It is not addressing the ownership of the property but is addressing the fundamental right of access to safe drinking water,” Redhead told Parliament on 28 November 2023.
The Members of Parliament on the Government side told Parliament that the amendment will work in the best interest of citizens as Government seeks to promote equitable access to water and sanitation under Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation by 2030.
In its release, Nawasa explained that the refundable $240 deposit that was required from customers who were unable to provide proof of ownership of the property to which the account is indexed will not have their money refunded to them as previously done when proof of ownership was provided.
Though the adjustment went into effect on 1 June, many customers who have found themselves disconnected were unaware of the adjustment policy, which is applied to new customers and those who are disconnected.
“In other words, if you are disconnected, you have to pay the arrears, the disconnection fee and the charge for service based on your water usage before you are reconnected,” said one customer who was affected by the change.
For Non-Domestic Customers, the service charge varies by usage tier:
- 0–2,800 gallons: $340
- 2,801–20,000 gallons: $760
- 20,001–100,000 gallons: $4,000
- Over 100,000 gallons: $8,000
