Chibanja Ward residents in Mzuzu City have asked the Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) to quickly repair broken water pipes.
Judith Mwandira feared the water losses will lead NRWB to put the cost on the residents.
“The water utility firm should ensure that its plumbers sink the plastic pipes deep into the ground to avoid cracking. We don’t want to incur more bills because of water losses,” she said.
But in a separate interview, NRWB spokesperson Edward Nyirenda said it was not correct that the board will charge residents on the water spillage.
“This loss is ours. The bills people receive depends on their consumption. That’s why we have programmes to reduce non-revenue water,” he said.
On his part, Dan Msowoya, a consultant on Safety and Health in Mzuzu, warned NRWB that cracked pipes suck in dirt and unsafe stuff not fit for human consumption.
“They should fix them sooner to protect people’s lives,” he said.
