Unpaid water bills could raise costs for other customers, UNELCO cautions

February 23, 2025 10:25 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Nicholas Mwai.

In the aftermath of the December 17, 2024 earthquake, a substantial amount of water has been used for demolition efforts. UNELCO, the primary water and electricity provider in Port Vila, has warned that if demolition companies fail to settle their payments, the financial burden may fall on other customers.

Pierre Brunet, a company specialising in construction, civil works, machinery rental, concrete services, and engineering, has been leading the demolition of buildings damaged by the earthquake. The demolition process has required large amounts of water to wash debris and dust from the sites.

UNELCO Managing Director Frédéric Petit affirmed that the water used for these operations was supplied by UNELCO, and the companies involved are expected to pay for it.

“So those who have been using water for the demolishing of buildings used water supplied by UNELCO, and of course, they paid for it,” said Petit. “To produce this amount of water and replace what has been used, we need electricity to pump water into tanks, which incurs a cost that must be covered.”

Petit also raised concerns about the impact on water pressure for nearby communities. “Fire hydrants and pipes near demolition sites, which are meant for firefighting emergencies, have been used to support the demolition work. This excessive use of water can lower the pressure available to surrounding residents,” he explained. “To maintain normal water access, we need to pump additional water, which consumes power and must be paid for.”

UNELCO’s Commercial Director, Elvir Perocevic, noted that while water costs remain lower than electricity, they still represent an operational expense. “One cubic meter, or 1,000 liters, of water costs VT100, which is not expensive compared to electricity,” Perocevic stated.

However, Petit issued a clear warning: “If they don’t pay the bills, then who is going to pay for it? UNELCO will have to recover the costs. If they don’t pay, then other customers will end up covering the difference.”