The Water Authority’s new website went live Wednesday, when Communication, Works and Infrastructure Minister Arden McLean typed the launch-code ‘ilovepurewater’ at a breakfast marking the occasion.
The website, www.waterauthority.ky, will give homeowner, tenants and developers access to information such as outage updates, water and sewage application forms, meter reading requests and online fault report.
However the site does not enable customers to pay bills online.
Website Project Leader Joanna Welcome-Martinez said she expects an online bill payment facility will be available within 18 months.
Mr. McLean said the site promised to be informative, interactive and stimulating, with the needs of customers in mind.
‘I am sure the public will appreciate the 24 hours a day, seven days a week, access to the authority, which the site will offer.’
Mr. McLean said he looked forward to an online bill paying facility becoming available in the future as he often forgets to pay his water bill. ‘That’s because I’m busy building roads,’ he joked.
Mrs. Welcome-Martinez said the site will give customers a new way to report their problems, day or night.
The Water Authority aims to respond to these reports within 1 business day and will endeavour to fix problem in no more than three business days, she added.
A new alert function will allow the Water Authority to quickly update and publish important messages to the public, Mrs. Welcome-Martinez explained.
‘This could be used as a medium, along with radio broadcasts, for public service announcements.’
Mrs. Welcome-Martinez expects sections on hurricane preparedness and water preservation to be important resources for all residents.
‘Water conservation is a topic you will be hearing us talk a lot more about in the coming year.
‘As we see that society is becoming more environmentally conscious, we definitely have to look into doing all we can to help customers to conserve water for the betterment of our community.’
So extensive is the website that builders and developers can even log on for technical instructions ranging from how to build a septic tank to how to build a commercial grease interceptor.
Water Authority Director Dr. Gelia Frederik-van Genderen said the large amount of information available accorded with the Freedom of Information policy that the Government is pursuing.
Mrs. Welcome-Martinez described the site as a living document that will continue to change in response to customer feedback.
To gauge their opinions, customers are being asked to survey the site by emailing [email protected].
Respondents that submit their feedback before 31 August will also go into the draw to share in $1,000 of water vouchers.
The Water Authority has been in existence for nearly 25 years and is responsible for providing pure, affordable drinking water to homes and businesses.
The Authority is also responsible for collecting and treating wastewater, and protecting the islands’ fresh groundwater lenses.
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