Villages owe water company K594,000

 TWO villages in Lae owed Water PNG K594,000, according to manager Customer Services Wallis Pingin.

He said the bill had accumulated over the past 20 years. Butibam village owed K540,000 while Kamkumung village owe K54,000.

Pingin said since the supply of water from Kamkumung to Butibam during the reign of former Lae MP Bart Philemon, the traditional landowners had been using water for free.

Water PNG officials have met with the villagers and provided bills for individual families and the total amount payable.

“Each household assured to pay K100 fortnightly or monthly but it was never fulfilled,” Pingin said.

Water PNG arranged that an EFTPOS machine be available in the village to make it easy for the villagers to pay their bills.

The third option is for a mass disconnection of water supply and the setting up of a water metre to be connected to a main assembly at a specific location with only one single head connection.

Water will be released to loyal consumers, who pay an agreed amount.

“Though we (Water PNG) respect Butibam and Kamkumung and four other Ahi villagers as landowners, it is a reciprocal (give and take) situation. Equipment need fuel and maintenance,” he said.