Muscat – Salim bin Nasser al Aufi, Chairman of Board of Directors of Authority for Public Services Regulation (APSR), has issued a decision regulating the disconnection policy for water services.

As per the decision (No 8/2023), disconnecting water services of residential subscribers is not permissible during the month of Ramadan. The decision also stipulates that water connections will not be cut on the last working day before weekends and official holidays.

The decision specifies details of disconnection procedures, which include issuing a notice to cut service at least ten days in advance.

Water supply can be disconnected in five circumstances – subscriber’s failure to pay bills, late payment, using the water supply for purposes other than that indicated in the connection request, misusing the service in a way that adversely affects other subscribers, and connections without the approved specifications.

According to the updated decision, reconnection of services for residential subscribers with smart meters has to be done within three hours, and six hours in the case of subscribers who do not have smart meters. Reconnection will be carried out if a quarter or half the dues are paid, or it is agreed upon to settle the dues in instalments over a specific period of time.

The decision discontinues the procedure of issuing invoices with estimate readings for more than two consecutive months. Estimate invoices can be issued in situations where the service provider is unable to take actual readings.

Subscribers can file complaints against service providers in the event of dispute, malfunction, damage or dissatisfaction with service. The service provider must register any complaint it receives.

According to the decision, a service provider cannot dismiss or close a complaint, without submission of a written response to the complainant. In the event of an error in meter reading or miscalculation of bill, the service provider is obligated to correct the error and recalculate the bill correctly.

The decision was issued on March 27 and came into force the next day following its publication in the Official Gazette.