A SEPTUAGENARIAN refuses to relocate her water meter to outside her house compound, claiming there isn’t any need for it.
The senior citizen, who wants to be identified as Sheela, said she received a notice from Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) advising her to move the meter out of the compound of her house in Section 12, Petaling Jaya.
She said the relocation of the water meter was too costly for her.
“According to Syabas’ notice on Nov 5, it would cost me RM500 to RM1,000 for its workers to move my water meter. I can’t afford such high charges and I really can’t understand why Syabas thinks there is a need to change the meter’s location after all these years.
“If Syabas wants to move it, why should I be the one paying for it?”
Sheela said according to the Syabas’ notice, there were difficulties reading the meter as it was within the house compound.
“However, just last week a Syabas officer came and had no problems reading the meter!”
Furthermore, she claimed that some of her neighbours had received new water meters for free.
ACTIONLINE:
Syabas said the relocation was necessary for its officers to read the water meter correctly.
“The reading of the water meter was not possible as it is located within the compound of the consumer’s premises.
“Hence, Syabas issued a notice to the consumer informing her to reposition the water meter to an accessible place for the Syabas’ meter reader,” said Syabas corporate communications department general manager Siti Zubaidah Zakaria.
“Syabas would like to advise the consumer to appoint any plumber registered under the National Water Services Commission to carry out the repositioning of the water meter within a month of receipt of the notice.
“Alternatively, Syabas may assist to reposition the water meter and all the costs for the repositioning will be billed to the consumer.
“Syabas is acting based on Rule 74 (2) of the Water Services Industry (Water Reticulation and Plumbing) Rules 2014,” she said.
The rule stated where an original meter is found to be not accessible, a water distribution licensee may a) reposition the meter or b) install a new meter and the original meter shall be abandoned, and the costs shall be borne by the consumer.