THE Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) announced on Monday, a three-month amnesty to allow owners and occupants of properties with illegal water connections to regularise their user status, from July 19-October 18.
The amnesty, WASA said in a press release on Monday, will allow all owners, occupants of properties with illegal water connections to regularise their status, thus avoiding disconnection, penalties and the possibility of legal action.
The amnesty applies specifically to customers/people falling into any of the following categories:
* Owners, occupants of properties with illegal connections ie people who have an existing water service connection but who are not registered as a customer of the authority;
* Customers with unregistered swimming pools i.e those who have swimming pools but have not indicated the existence of same to the authority;
* Customers who are VAT registered i.e customers who conduct a VAT-registered business but are currently classified (and therefore billed) as a residential customer;
* Customers classified as (A2) for yard/building tap, who now have internal plumbing and have failed to notify the authority.
Under the authority’s present policy, persons with illegal connections, unregistered swimming pools and who operate a VAT-registered business but maintain a status as a residential customer, can face a one-year retroactive charge or disconnection of their service.
However, during the period of the Amnesty, these charges, as well as the authority’s right to disconnect will be waived. Customers/people in the above categories are encouraged to regularise their status by visiting any of the authority’s customer service centres, located throughout the country.
Anyone who fails to take advantage of this amnesty will face automatic disconnection of their service, imposition of penalties and any other legal recourse available to WASA.
People accessing the amnesty, will be required to complete an application form, provide a current utility bill (no older than 3 months) confirming proof of address, along with two forms of valid identification.
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