The volume of cold water that has not been metered during the last nine years (2000 – 2009) in Chisinau constituted 37.8% of the total volume. In terms of money, this is about 217 million lei, SA Apa– Canal Chisinau says in a communique, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. According to the water supplier, the water consumption in apartment buildings was metered chaotically during 1997-2003. Consequently, the administrators of the housing sector started to record an exaggerated difference in the metered volumes. “As the given volumes are not covered by the administrators of the housing sector and the real average water charge of SA Apa – Canal Chisinau is not 8 lei/m3 , as the municipal authorities decided, but about 12 lei/m3, the water supplier is faced with a serious crisis,” the communique says. Moreover, the recent inventorying of the water meters from apartments revealed that the meters have been installed with serious deviations from the technical norms and do not meet the standards. Only 40% of the owners of the 500 verified apartments ensured free access for the representatives of the Public Amenities Division and SA Apa-Canal Chisinau, who checked the water meters. The meters in about 70% of the apartments were in a deplorable condition and their working life expired. “SA Apa-Canal Chisinau is in a difficult financial situation and runs the risk of being disconnected from the electric power and gas supply at any moment as it owes over 20 million lei to these suppliers,” it is said in the communique. The water supplier warns the consumers in debt that they will be disconnected from the aqueduct if they do not pay the bills the next days. Next week, SA Apa-Canal Chisinau will continue to cut off the consumers in debt from the private sector and from the suburbs of Chisinau. The consumers will be reconnected to the water supply only if they fully pay the debts and cover the disconnection and reconnection costs of up to 3,000 lei.