Sunass: Users filed almost half a million claims for water and sanitation services in 2021

During 2021, around 499,396 claims were filed by users of water and sanitation services, according to information from the National Superintendence of Sanitation Services (Sunass).

The regulator reported that 349,897 claims were commercial, due to billing or high consumption, fractionation of receipts, among others. These represented 70% of the total.

While the remaining 30% (149,499) were operational; that is, due to lack of water in the area, lack of home connection, problems with the sewage system, flooding due to broken water pipes or drainage pipes, among others.

In detail, in the first quarter of last year 130,070 claims were filed, in the second quarter 127,761, in the third quarter 117,918, and in the fourth quarter 123,647.

Balance of the fourth quarter

Regarding the last quarter of last year, the companies providing sanitation services (EP) with the most complaints, for every 10,000 active connections, were Sedam Huancayo SA (with 1,209.72 complaints), Emapisco SA (919.82), Epssmu SA (811.93), Sedacusco SA (806.54) and Semapach SA of Chincha (783.10); this according to barometer ranking performance of companies.

Thus, 72% of claims were of a commercial nature, due to billing or high consumption, fractionation of receipts, among others. While the operational claims (28%) were due to lack of water in the area, lack of home connection, problems with the sewage system, flooding due to broken water pipes or drainage pipes.

appeals

During the last quarter of 2021 (October to December), the providers with the most appeals or claims to be resolved by Sunass in the second instance, for every 10,000 active connections, were EPS Tacna (109.72), Sedalib in La Libertad ( 54.56), Sedacusco (48.28), Emapa San Martín (41.83) and Emapacop in Ucayali (39.80).

Of the total of 9,437 appeals filed by users, some 3,155 were resolved in favor of the user and 2,276 in favor of the EPS. In addition, 204 were resolved via conciliation or with an agreement between the EPS and the user. Meanwhile, 3,802 appeals were declared inadmissible, extemporaneous, among others.

in addition, The global data for the year 2021 (from January to December), specifies that the Administrative Court for the Solution of Claims of the Users of the Sanitation Services (Trass), resolved a total of 27,496 appeals, of which 13,710 were in favor of the users.

Meanwhile, the largest number of appeals that entered the Sunass were from the companies Sedapal (54%), Sedalib in La Libertad (13%) and Sedapar in Arequipa (10%).

It should be noted that most appeals in the second instance are due to claims for metered consumption, that is, they are cases in which the user does not agree with the amount (volume) of water billed according to the meter record.

reconciliations

In 2021, Sunass held conciliation hearings, to find early, practical and definitive agreements between users and companies. 1,164 hearings were held, with favorable agreements in 93% of cases. Due to the context of the pandemic, 100% of the hearings were by telephone.

It is important to indicate that, during the conciliations, the user can obtain a reduction in the billing, the installment of the debt or the commitment of an inspection to check the installations of his home.