The Water and Sewerage Company Inc. (WASCO) issued the following statement on Wednesday to address concerns regarding monthly water bills:
WASCO is in receipt of several complaints from customers regarding what appears to be a spike in their monthly water bills. This is following delays in the issuing of bills for the last few months. These delays were as a result of unavoidable challenges associated with a system upgrade and a computer system conversion process that was being undertaken. These upgrades are intended to modernize and improve the functionality of our customer information system and make it more user friendly both for customers and staff.
As we progress toward resolving the conversion issues, we are now in a position to start issuing bills to customers. However, these bills will include the outstanding balances on accounts which were not updated during the billing delay period. This is why we had been encouraging customers to pay down on their accounts in order to avoid accumulated bill balances.
WASCO wishes to inform customers that while the conversion process is not yet completed we have been able to resolve the many of the difficulties associated with the upgrades, and bills are currently being issued. However, we are aware of concerns by customers regarding the high balances. We want to stress that there have been no rate increases and that the bills are a combined total for several months of unpaid usage.
Customers who have received bills for high consumption are advised to visit our office where a designated agent will be able to assist. In addition, customers who have outstanding balances can also discuss payment options and plans with our Customer Service Agents in order to regularize their accounts. We also want to stress that all disconnections remain suspended until further notice. Meanwhile, customers wishing to access to account balances online can now do so by visiting our website at www.wascosaintlucia.com, go to your account and follow the prompts.
If you have not signed up on our website to view your bill balances, this is an opportune time to do so. Our staff are ready and available to assist you if necessary. Customers can also call our offices in Castries, Vieux Fort and Soufriere at telephone numbers 4573900, 4573980 or 4573987 respectively to get your bill balances for November, December, January and February.
WASCO wishes to apologize to its valued customers for the inconvenience that these delays have caused and reiterates its commitment to addressing all customer concerns regarding the billing issue.
