By Ranger
From an economic point of view, the Gums Valley Water Company that supplies clean potable water to over one million consumers in the ever-growing Western Area is installing water meters for those that are legally connected to its service.
The intentions are clear – to cut down on wastage and to increase revenue intake in order to improve on service delivery. However, some consumers The Calabash spoke to on the meters recalled that this not the first time that GUMA has come up with the initiative and that the first attempt some years back ended disastrously.
They asked what modalities have been put in place by Guma to address concerns and challenges like people cutting pipes connected to their homes. They also asked about how Guma will ensure that they do not only have meters at their homes and businesses but that they get water supply, especially in the dries.
SDG17 suggests that water is a human right related to health and sanitation. Water thus being an essential commodity that everyone needs, how Guma ensure that poor communities get public standpipes to cut down on pipe cutting and how will this class of users be billed?
Another concern raised by people in new communities is that they do not have access to Guma clean water at all. What provisions they asked have Guma and its partner water service provider, SALWACO, made for them to access clean drinking water.
