The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE Water & Sewerage sCorporation (WSC) is purchasing more water today than ever before, according to minister of state for the environment, Phenton Neymour, who told Tribune Business it would continue to require government subsidies until it addresses its 50 per cent non-revenue water (NRW) problems. Mr Neymour said the $81 million loan that the WSC has received from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is aimed at tackling the non-revenue water issue. He told Tribune Business: "It's a matter that has always been a burden to the Water & Sewerage Corporation. Water purchases by the Water & Sewerage Corporation have increased as a result of the Government installing larger water mains. We are purchasing more water today than we ever have. It's a large burden financially on the Water & Sewerage Corporation, as its current revenue doesn't cover all of its operational expenses." The Water & Sewerage Corporation's cash flow woes were highlighted again last week after BISX-listed Consolidated Water revealed that it was owed $8.3 million for water supplies as at end-February 2012, almost $4 million of that sum run-up during the first two months of 2012 alone. Mr Neymour told Tribune Business the Government was aggressively trying to deal with the non-revenue water issue. "It's a challenge we continue to address," he explained. "The primary thrust to alleviate that challenge is the $81 million project that we have with the IDB to reduce non-revenue water, and until we address it we will continue to struggle financially with the Water and Sewerage Corporation. The Government is now aggressively tackling that with this new project." Mr Neymour said that in the meantime the Government would continue to subsidise the WSC. He added: "We are continuing to subsidise the Water & Sewerage Corporation, and I don't see subsidies ending in the short-term until this project is completed. This is a 10-year project. Unless the Government injects significantly more funding, I see the Water & Sewerage Corporation continuing to require subsidy. What we are trying to do is reduce the amount of subsidy." Water & Sewerage Corporation general manager, Glen Laville, recently told Tribune Business that the WSC loses about $16 million a year in water leakage in New Providence. The primary objective of the $81 million project, to be undertaken by Miya Water Projects and Veritec Consulting, is to reduce non-revenue water from over five million gallons per day to 2.5 million gallons per day within five years.