Water bills being reduced

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - The next time you receive your water bill expect a 2% reduction. According to a media release from the Guam Waterworks Authority the reduction is a result of the agency paying off its debts to the U.S. Navy and the Guam Power Authority. "This is due to the fact that we recently paid off the remainder of the Navy water surcharge which we had been collecting and paying off since 2003. ", said Martin Roush General Manager of  GWA. "We are happy  we can pass on this reduction to our customers".  He went on to say. "In March of 2011 GWA was also able to pay off the amount owed to GPA for power bills dating back several years. This was approximately $15Million dollars which we also have been collecting and paying down since 2001" Roush added.

It was in eleven years ago the Public Utilities Commission ordered a 11.5% regulatory surcharge for all water meters read after October 2001.  This allowed GWA to begin to pay down its obligation to GPA.  In March of 2011 GWA completed its final payment to GPA.

Meanwhile, it was in 2003 GWA  was ordered to begin paying back the $9 million it owed to the Navy. Accoring to a GWA media release this was for water purchases to supply the villages of Santa Rita, Agat and at the time Piti  with water (GWA no longer purchases navy water for Piti).  GWA was  authorized to assess a surcharge for repayment of this obligation.  The agency finished paying the remainder of this obligation in June of 2012.