The National Water Commission (NWC), in its unrelenting drive to tackle delinquency and theft, has continued operations across the island to combat what seems to be deeply entrenched activities geared towards eroding the revenue of the utility provider.

During the month of August alone, the NWC carried out operations in the parishes of St Catherine, Kingston and St Andrew, St James, Westmoreland and Hanover.

At the end of the period, 1,143 illegal supplies were disconnected, 24 persons were prosecuted for trespassing on the works of the NWC, and 48 civil cases initiated to recover outstanding amounts.

Illegal connections

The ongoing island-wide operations since January 2013 have resulted in the disconnection of 9,434 illegal connections, prosecution of 286 persons, and the issuing of 403 summonses.

The NWC's revenue recovery department will continue to aggressively treat the problem of delinquency and theft as a matter of paramount importance as the company moves to maintain a level of operational efficiency.

Customers who are facing challenges paying their bills are encouraged to visit a commercial office, where amicable arrangements may be made to settle outstanding balances and to avoid lengthy court actions, unnecessary costs and embarrassment.

The company also urges persons not to connect illegally to its systems and also asks the public to report any suspicion of illegal connection to any office of the NWC or its 1-888-CALL-NWC toll-free number.