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The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is moving against those persons in the business of selling the water distributed by the utility.Those selling water do not have the permission to do so, said Rawle Aaron, GWI’s Public Relations Officer.According to GWI, all water vendors, individuals and companies engaged in the business of selling water, either at fixed locations or through water trucks, must enter into a contract, in accordance with Chapter 30:01 of the Water and Sewerage Act.Water vendors who have not yet registered are asked to regularise their status within seven days at any of GWI’s commercial Service Departments countrywide.Aaron said none of the individuals or businesses currently selling water is registered with the GWI.What happens, Aaron told Kaieteur News, is that those who sell water simply filter the treated water that is supplied by GWI. Furthermore, some of those who sell water are currently billed as domestic or commercial customers.They are paying just about $65 for some 450 gallons of water. Once they are registered, they will have to pay about $400. Five gallons of water is being sold for $100 at some outlets and $200 at other locations. GWI is also selling treated water at its Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara location. Customers pay $100 for a five-gallon bottle.Meanwhile, customers (domestic, commercial, industrial or institutional) are being warned not to facilitate or permit their service to be used for vending.Such actions are deemed illegal and can result in immediate severance of service, GWI stated.According to Aaron, 80 per cent of Guyanese buy water to drink. |
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