Reference is made to my visit to the Water Works offices in Valletta in the last week of October 2008, whereby my application for a new service of water distribution at my garage was refused. The person I spoke to said that following a directive from higher authority, all applications are to be ceased due to higher tariffs that were to be proposed.

After contacting the customer care department, I was assured that my application could be accepted the following day. The next day, I went to the WSC Valletta offices for the second time and this time, although my application was accepted, I could not effect the payment and was told that I will be informed in the following days about it.

I would like to point out that this happened days before the budget announcement and I still cannot understand why things were put on hold! When do companies halt/suspend their operations because a change in tariffs is coming in the next days?

To make matters worse, to this date I still have not been contacted by WSC to advise me what is happening with my application. My endless calls to the WSC offices have proved fruitless with one getting the usual replies Jien ma ghandiex x’naqsam! L-ordni gejja min fuq! Ma nafu xejn (I have nothing to to with it. Superior orders. We don’t know anything).

Why is WSC refusing new service to its customers who applied days before the budget? This is surely not a way to treat its customers.

May I point out, that on the same day, I also applied for electricity at Enemalta and I got a normal service. After a few days, I had the electricity meter installed in my garage. So why this disservice from WSC?

Hope my complaint reaches the relevant authorities and action is taken immediately to rectify the matter. As a paying customer, I believe that I deserve to get a good service and be treated fairly and hence I am expecting a reply from WSC explaining their position.

Mark Spiteri

Msida