Kaupa puts aside K2mil to run tap water to homes

A user-pay system will replace public taps in National Capital District settlements from February, says Moresby North-East MP John Kaupa.
Kaupa, who is also the Housing and Urbanisation Minister, was speaking on Sunday at the Kukipi Block at 9-Mile when committing K23,000 for the Kukipi settlers of Gulf.
Kaupa said he was allocating
K2 million for the work to upgrade the water supply system.
“As of February next year, all settlements in Moresby North-East will have water user-pay meters installed for every five to six houses. There will be no more public water system and the public water committee will cease its function,” Kaupa said.
He said he was taking the approach to make consumers responsible for the use of water and to ensure continuity in the flow of service into the settlements.
Kaupa said that with the public water system, some people used water irresponsibly and incurred huge costs for everyone to shoulder, which was unfair to those who did not use so much.
That, Kaupa said, had led to people not wanting to pay for public water bills, resulting in the shutdown of the service.
“Water is essentil to life and you should not make yourselves suffer by your own actions of irresponsible water consumption,” Kaupa said.
“I want to ensure that water is not disrupted by Eda Ranu to the settlements due to non-payment of bills by the public. Thus, the user-pay system is the way to control and solve the water woes in the settlements.
“You will be accountable for your own water use and when you use more water you pay a higher bill and you pay less when you control your usage.
“it’s as simple as that.”