Water loss in supply systems should be regulated by law, foreign expert

Residential consumers should pay for the difference between the readings of the water meters in their apartments and those of the collective water meters installed in apartment buildings, and this should be regulated by law as it is in other countries, stated Felix Stroe, director of the Constanta-based water utility Raja, at a public debate organized by Apa-Canal Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo reports. “Romania has such a law. It provides that the difference resulting from what the collective meter reads and the combined readings of the apartment meters is paid by the residents of the respective block, based on an apportionment scheme drawn by themselves or by the building administrator”, said Felix Stroe, adding that all the member countries of the World Water Association follow this procedure and repartition the difference among the consumers. Chisinau Mayor Dorin Chirtoaca agreed that the problem in the city should be resolved like it's done in other countries. “There is a variance of 20% and we should solve this problem if we don't want to see the system go bankrupt. Our proposal today is that instead of replacing the existing meters, the residents should pay the difference”, said the mayor. Alternatively, to make it for the difference, the municipality would have to consider raising the water rates. “It is a fact that each year apartment buildings receive 15 million cubic meters of water, but only 11 million cubic meters are reported to have been received. 4 million cubic meters go unreported, and this means the volume of five Valea Morilor ponds combined”, said the mayor. Earlier, the municipality decided to charge consumers for the difference starting from November, making bills by around 50 lei larger.