Wa, Feb. 2, GNA - Association of Water and Sanitation Development Boards (AWSDB) in the three Northern Regions have threatened to disconnect water to government departments and institutions due to their high indebtedness.

He said the boards had given the departments and institutions up till the end of June to settle their indebtedness or forfeit the use of water.

Mr Danumin Subiniman, Executive Secretary of AWSDB, who announced this at Wa during their sixth annual general meeting said "although some of the departments do not owe, a lot of them owe so much that it could ground the progress of the boards".

He explained that the boards spend huge some of money on chemicals and electricity to keep good water flowing and yet most of the consumers were not fulfilling their obligation.

Mr Subiniman said although most of the consumers had been reminded several times to pay their bills, they were yet to respond positively. Mr Gaspard Tang, Chairman of AWSDB, attributed the high incidence of water-borne diseases especially guinea-worm to lack of potable water in rural areas coupled with high tariffs on small town water systems. He appealed to the government to consider subsidising the small town water systems to consumers to make it affordable for them to move away from bad water.

Mr Tang gave the assurance that the association would work round the clock to bring potable water to the doorsteps to every community in the rural areas of the three regions.