Let’s Count Drops of Water

After January 14, water bills in Tbilisi double. Up until now, a resident paid 1.20 laris a month.  However, now residents must pay 2.40 laris.  Businesses will have to pay 4.40 laris a month. This decision was passed by the Tbilisi City Council and approved by Mayor Gigi Ugulava on December 29.

Because opposition members of the Tbilisi City Council did not attend the meeting on December 29, they appealed the decision of the Council in court on January 3. Giorgi Gugava, a Labor member of the City Council, claimed that the decision on doubling the water bill was illegal and demanded that it be nullified.

Giorgi Gugava said that “The Mayor’s initiative was unexpected. The Law on Tbilisi states that every decision should have been publicly discussed a week before it is voted on at the meeting. Besides that, an expert should have made some conclusion regarding the initiative, such as its economic impact. Unfortunately, all 32 deputies from the majority voted for the draft law without having ordered the necessary documents.”

Gugava believes that government is about to sell the enterprise and they have doubled the bill for that purpose. “They have already found an investor. After the Ltd is sold out, the bill will permanently increase. As for the investor, General Dezo is regarded as a possible buyer. Fresh water is expensive in across the world... Because Georgian water has high quality, Georgian people are more likely to be supplied with water from the Black Sea and the Mtkvari, and Bulachauri water will be sold abroad.”

As for the Laborists’ suit, it consists of two parts. “One part is that the decision was voted on after breaching the law.  Another part is that there are no concrete evidence [of what the economic effects] of the increase will be… When the cost of energy constantly increases and living standards worsen every year, an increase in water bills could result in residents [not paying their bills and] living without water. According to the first part of the suit, the decision [of the City Council] should be nullified.  According to the second part, the increase in water bills should be postponed until a final decision [by the court].”

Tbilisi residents also complain about doubling of their water bills. Serious problems will follow after meters are installed in late January. Poor residents say that they will have to use water with as much care as they use electricity. “It was difficult for me to pay the previous bills, so how can I pay double that. I have no idea. Conserving water will result in less sanitary conditions. Didn’t our government promise us before the elections they wouldn’t do this?” asked Leila Surmava, a Tbilisi resident.

Gegi Kelbakiani, director of Tbilisis Municipal Water, said that qualifying individuals will have credits for half of their water bills. “Nobody has discussed the issue of water bill for the last five years. Many changes have been introduced during this time. Such a large company has to maintain its pipes, filtration facilities and pumps.  The main reason for the doubling of bills is the increase of the price of electricity.  We spent 8 million laris on electricity in 1998; however, in 2007 expenses are more likely to amount to 13 million laris,” said Kelbakiani.

His answer to whether increased electricity bills affect water bill, was the following. “We are closely tied to electricity. I do not think water bills will be discussed in 2007again. However, the increased price does not reflect the true price of water. As for qualifying individuals, there is a push [at City Hall] that these people will be granted credits for half the bill.”

Eka Gulua