Thousands of dollars in compensation due to Barbados Water Authority (BWA) customers for below standard service have gone down the drain again after no one filed a claim.
This information comes from the Fair Trading Commission (FTC), which is urging the BWA to do a better job of informing Barbadians about the claims submission process.
In its Analysis of BWA Annual Standards of Service Report for the January 1 to December 31, 2024 period, the public utility regulator said that while last year 1 383 BWA customers were eligible for compensation of $35 120, not a cent was paid because no customer claims were received.
The FTC previously reported that in 2021 there were 1 956 BWA customers eligible for $45 085 in compensation, and the following year 2 125 customers were due for $42 760. In each of those years, however, no compensation was paid by the BWA because no customer made a claim.
This means that between 2021 and 2024, 5 464 customers did not receive any of the $122 965 they were due via a credit on their monthly bill. Information on compensation for 2023 was not included.
“The BWA is required to issue compensatory payments to individual customers affected by breaches of the guaranteed standards unless specific circumstances of force majeure can be proven by the BWA,” the FTC reported.
“However, the customer is required to submit a manual claim to receive
compensation.”
The guaranteed service standards for residential and commercial customers are installation of service, issuance of first bill, response to complaints, wrongful disconnections, meter installations or meter repositioning (existing service), repair/replacement of faulty meter, reconnection after payment of overdue amount and reconnection fee, application for reconnection of service previously disconnected from the main, scheduling of field appointments, and reliability of supply.
Service standard
The FTC noted, for example, that the reliability of supply service standard requires the BWA to supply customers with at least eight cubic metres of running water over a 30-day period.
The regulator said in the report, dated September 11, 2025, that the BWA “advised that no individual complaints were received from customers that were supplied with less than eight cubic metres of running water over a 30-day period”.
“The BWA informed that it relies on customers to advise when they are experiencing low or no water service. While the reliability of the pipe borne water service may be unacceptable in some districts across the island, no formal complaints were submitted to the BWA,” said the FTC.
The regulator advised: “Customers not receiving a regular water supply should submit a Claims form not displayed on website formal complaint to the BWA. The submission of a formal complaint entitles them to make a claim for compensation if the BWA fails to supply the eight cubic meters of water over the 30-day period.
“Section 8.2 of the Standards of Service 2022 Decision requires the BWA to place the claims form and official complaint forms on the website and place physical copies at its main office and other outlets.”
“The BWA has partially discharged its responsibility by displaying the contact information, the time customers may contact the customer service hotline and the type of information that can be received or dispensed,” the FTC said.
“Additionally, the Standards of Service Tables and the Standards of Service Complaints Form are currently displayed on its website. However, the BWA has not displayed the claims form enabling customers to submit claims . . .”
The commission added the absence of the form did not prohibit the customer from submitting a claim the BWA must display forms as a matter of urgency and if a compensatory payment claim is made within the stipulated time, the BWA must honour it.
“The BWA must utilise the tools at its disposal in educating its customers on the complaints process. This may include additional information on its social media platforms, reminders on its Water Wednesdays, etc. Additionally, the Commission recommends
that the BWA prepare information pamphlets or other literature to be disseminated.”
The FTC’s assessment of the BWA’s compliance with the ten categories of guaranteed service standards in 2024 found that there was “a decline in the performance from the previous year – 2023”, but it was able to attain compliance rates of 75 per cent or greater, for four of the guaranteed standards for “residential and commercial customers – installation of service, response to complaints (acknowledgement), wrongful disconnections, and reconnection after payment of overdue amount and reconnection fee,” the commission reported.
The BWA was also able to attain a compliance rate of over “75 per cent for . . . repair/replacement of faulty meters for commercial customers”.
The FTC said, “the BWA’s performance was unacceptable in – installation of a service (residential and commercial), issuance of first bill (residential and commercial), meter installation or meter repositioning (residential) and repair/replacement of faulty meter (residential and commercial)”. (SC)
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