The Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has fined Portland Cement Company MK188,829,200.00 after it was found operating three illegal water connections, depriving the Board of revenue for a prolonged period while consuming treated water without paying a single bill.
According to a statement by the Board, the illegal connections were uncovered during a routine inspection and monitoring exercise conducted by the Board’s technical teams in Makata, Blantyre.
“This was after the Board’s CEO Yeremia Chihana made several serious interventions with all staff across to make serious routine inspection and monitoring to reduce Non Revenue water.
“Investigations revealed that the company had bypassed official procedures and was drawing large quantities of water directly from the Board’s system through unauthorized connections,” reads part of the statement
The discovery represents a serious act of water theft and sabotage against public service delivery.
“Illegal connections not only result in huge financial losses to the Board, but also negatively affect service delivery to honest and paying customers. Following the discovery, Blantyre Water Board immediately disconnected water supply to the company and commenced procedures to impose penalties and recover outstanding losses arising from the illegal usage,” reads the statement in par
Chihana has strongly condemned the malpractice and warned that the Board will continue intensifying inspections and enforcement operations against all individuals and institutions involved in illegal water connections.
“The incident serves as a strong warning to all customers and institutions engaging in illegal water connections that the Board will not tolerate any form of water theft,” he said
