C’River Water Board Wants Customers To Settle Bills

The Cross River State
Water Board (CRSWB) has urged its customers to settle their water bills promptly to guarantee efficient service delivery.
The General Manager (Operations) of the CRSWB, Mr James Buchan, made the call in Calabar while speaking with newsmen.
Buchan said the response of customers to the payment of water rates was not encouraging compared to the quality of service they enjoyed from the board.
“I do not produce water if there is one element missing. I ensure that all elements for production are available, including the chemical components and all these cost money.
“So, there is no reason why consumers should not pay their bills or why some people should attempt to cut corners in order to avoid paying bills,’’ he said.
Buchan advised customers to stop paying money to unauthorised water board staff as nobody was mandated to collect cash on behalf of the board.
He also warned against illegal connection, adding that anyone caught conniving with any staff of the board would be handed over to law enforcement agents for prosecution.
“You should pay your bills direct to the designated banks. No staff of the water board is allowed to collect cash from customers.
“Those people who collect cash are fraudulent,’’ Buchan said.
The general manager said that many customers, including the state government, ministries, departments and agencies owed the board several millions of naira.
According to him, epileptic power supply was another serious challenge facing the board, adding that it spends huge amount of money on gas to ensure optimal production of 24 hours daily.
Buchan attributed the recent water cut in Calabar to a routine maintenance carried out by the board, adding that it had commenced pumping of water since 1a.m. on Thursday.