People continue to complain about the situation of 'meters still running when no water is used'

On September 20, after the article "The clock still spins when no water is used.", posted on Nghe An newspaper, many people called and texted to report the operating status of their family's water meter.

Ms. VH - a reader in Con Cuong district said that her family's clean water bill is about 300,000 VND per month. But at the end of 2011, it suddenly increased to 600,000 VND. After reporting to the water bill collector, they informed that there was a problem with the meter and suggested that the family bring their own water meter for inspection. After bringing the meter to Vinh city for inspection, the inspection agency informed that the meter was showing an incorrect reading and that they could exchange the meter for another one. "However, the sudden increase in the amount that my family had to pay due to the meter's measurement error was not resolved to be refunded" - Ms. VH said.

Mr. Thai Van Vinh (Hung Binh ward) reported the self-rotating condition of his family's water meter. Photo: HT

Ms. NTT in Ha Huy Tap Ward said that after reading the article, she immediately checked the operating status of her family's water meter and discovered that even though she did not turn on the faucet, the meter was still spinning. Reviewing the payment notices from Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company, Ms. T. said that her family's water bill is normally around 90,000 - 100,000 VND/month, but in the past 2 months it has increased sharply compared to normal, with one month reaching 260,000 VND. Discovering the unusual condition of the water meter, she called the staff in charge of collecting water bills and was scheduled to send a technician to check it on the afternoon of September 20.

As for Mr. Thai Van Vinh's household at No. 26, Vinh Yen Street, Hung Binh Ward (Vinh City), after Nghe An Newspaper published an article reflecting the situation of the water meter "turning by itself" even though Mr. Vinh's family did not turn on the faucet or use the water, on the morning of September 20, Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company sent staff from the Technical Department and specialists to Mr. Thai Van Vinh's household to continue checking and fixing the "problem" of the water meter.

"After checking, the water company's technical staff said that my family's meter is a special case, and there is currently no way to fix it. Some households have the same problem, but after installing a one-way valve, it stopped rotating automatically when not using water. As for my family's meter, even after installing a one-way valve, it still cannot be fixed. The water company staff promised to remove my meter for inspection and try to fix it completely this afternoon," said Mr. Thai Van Vinh.

Officials and technical staff of Nghe An Water Supply Company check the operating status of the water meter of Mr. Thai Van Vinh's family on the morning of September 20. Photo provided by local people

When asked about the monthly water bills that Mr. Thai Van Vinh's family paid, Mr. Vinh said that he reported the water meter problem not to complain about the water bill, but to ensure fairness in the use and provision of clean water services.

"We, the people, will pay the same amount of clean water for our daily use every month according to the general price list. I don't know how much the meter reading will be different from the amount of water our family uses, but it is clear that such a situation is unfair. It is unreasonable to have to pay for it without using it," said Mr. Thai Van Vinh.

On the morning of September 20, we contacted the leaders of Nghe An Water Supply Joint Stock Company to discuss the contents related to the people's feedback. The leaders of the Water Supply Joint Stock Company said: "Currently, the Board of Directors has not received a report on this issue. The Board of Directors will verify the information. If there is a situation where the water meter rotates automatically when not in use, the technical department will be directed to fix it immediately"./.