WATER METERS NOW TARGET OF THIEVES( PAGE 25, PUBLISH DEC 24TH 2007....METRO NEWS)

Rose Hayford Darko , Tema .

Water meter valves imported and installed in homes by the Ghana Water Company Limited to measure quantity of water used by consumers has now become a target for thieves in the Tema Region .
Residents had ignorantly complained of broken pipelines and waste of water only to realize that the flow of water was from pipelines linking the meters due to its removal by thieves .
The Daily Graphic investigations have shown that as many as about 30 water meters were stolen from some house in a month at dawn .
This figure represented reported cases as booked in the station diary of the Tema Community eight Police Station and recorded in the district office of GWCL complaints books making the situation serious if other communities were added .
The Investigations revealed that some residents did not go to the police but reported to the offices of the GWCL in Tema .
Some of the residents the Daily Graphic spoke to were not happy with the situation because this could lead to payment of increased tariff .
A resident of Tema Community seven Madam Phyllis Adzovor who also had her meter stolen said about a month ago , she was woken by an unusual noise at about 3a.m. which she later found out was water gushing out from the pipeline linking the meter .
She said a closer look revealed that the meter had been removed leaving a gap where the water gushed out .
Madam Phyllis said her neighbour also had his water gushing out at the same time which meant they all had their meters stolen at the same time at dawn .
She was not happy that when they reported the incident to the GCWL , they were asked to go and replace the meter themselves but unfortunately could not get them on the market .
Madam Phyllis said they have at the moment blocked the gap with a hose and continue to use the water without any meter connections .
She also said no official of the GWCL had gone to the house to inspect the pipeline and appealed to the Water Company to assist them get new meters .
The Public Relations Officer of the Tema Region GWCL , Mr N. Appiah Dadson confirmed that stealing of the meters was very rampant in the Region especially in the Communities 7, 8 ,9, Sakumono and Ashiaman area.
He said the meters were stolen because of a small brass component which the thieves melted for the production of rings and related products .
Mr Dadson noted that meters were imported with Ghana hard earned foreign money and therefore condemned the activities of the thieves .
He also confirmed a document sighted by the Daily Graphic signed by the Tema Central District Manager of the GWCL , Mr Joe Tettevi and addressed to the Regional Chief Manager of the Aqua Vitens Rand Limited alerting them of the spate of stealing of water meters in the Region and therefore called for announcements to be made through the print and electronic media to educate the public to protect their meters .
Mr Dadson could not however confirm that the advert was made but disclosed that the installed meter was the property of the GWCL and therefore could not be sold to another consumer when stolen .
He noted that consumers would therefore be surcharged for the installation of new meters depending on its availability because it was imported .
Mr Dadson disclosed that consumers who had their meters stolen would be billed estimated flat rates ,considering their previous bills .
He denied that the GWCL officials had asked consumers who had fallen victims to the stealing to buy their own meters because as he put it ‘the meter which is imported cannot be bought on the open market and each of the installed meters had serial numbers .’
Mr Dadson said once it a criminal offence to steal , it was proper for victims to report the incident to the police for investigations and therefore urged those who had not reported yet to do so to avoid being held responsible for the loss of the item which was the property of the GWCL .
He said the location of every meter was known and therefore any change in locations would be an indication that it was stolen and therefore the user would be arrested and prosecuted .
He disclosed that there were plans to change the component which had made the meter attractive to thieves and therefore the situation would soon be remedied .
Meanwhile some residents who were victims have appealed to the GWCL to locate their meters at convenient places and secure them to make it difficult for the thieves to break in .