Eda Ranu targets errant consumers

By JUNIOR UKAHA
WATER company Eda Ranu is warning city residents to pay their outstanding water bills or risk getting water supply to their premises disconnected.
Eda Ranu management yesterday informed The National that enough time had been given for residents in some parts of the city to pay up and to stop illegal connections where some had failed to do so.
It said they had no option but to carry out “a major disconnection drive” starting tomorrow (today).
“We gave them ample time to respond but they failed,” a senior company spokesperson said.
“We do sympathise with them but Eda Ranu is a business entity and piped water comes to their homes at a cost.”
The source said, in the past, Eda Ranu had tried many strategies including screwing clamps on water meters of those who had not paid their water bills but still this did not work out well because people still removed the clamps and had access to water illegally. 
The source said the company lost an annual estimated amount of K7 million to K10 million in water revenue fees in non-revenue areas such as villages and settlements.                 
Eda Ranu management said it was engaging a local contractor to carry out the disconnection exercise with technical staff from Eda Ranu providing supervision work at the disconnection sights.
According to the company spokesperson, the new approach will be to “dig and expose connection pipes and disconnect the service pipes from the city supplying mains”.
The management said a police mobile unit would be dispatched with the contractors to ensure that the exercise was conducted smoothly.
It also warned that any individuals or groups trying to distract the work of police and the contractors or damaged any property during and after the disconnection exercises would be dealt with accordingly.
The areas to be affected in the first phase of the disconnection exercises are Gerehu stages 1-7, with residences in Gerehu stage 1 who have outstanding arrears and illegal water connections to their premises to be cut off tomorrow.
However, the company management said they have a stand-by team available to reconnect water if customers of disconnection make an attempt to pay in full or part their bills.
Customers who are still in the queue for disconnection and want help must immediately come forward and sort out their outstanding water bills.