The Sunday Mail
HARARE residents will continue accessing water even if they do not recharge their accounts when prepaid meters are rolled out. Town Clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi assured that the local authority had designed ways to ensure water would not be completely cut off.
Harare City Council will embark on the US$5 million prepaid water meter project before year-end, with Mabvuku earmarked for a pilot project that will see installation of 200 000 smart units.
Dr Mahachi said: “We will introduce a rate limiter, which blocks water when one fails to recharge. However, water will continue running but it won’t have much pressure, and basically will not be enough for everyday normal uses. We will have that provision so that residents won’t completely run out of water.”
A smart meter will cost each household between US$150 and US$250, with the costs being recovered through US$5 to US$10 deductions when ratepayers recharge their accounts. Twenty-nine companies have submitted bids to supply the smart meters and tests are being run on their suitability and durability.
“We want the smart meters to have a life span of at least 10 years. Some of the companies bidding are foreign. We are looking for a smart meter that is durable and will suit our environment,” Dr Mahachi added.
Authorities say the system helps curb treated water theft and will boost revenue inflows by ensuring consumers pay for water upfront. Consumers owe Harare City Council over US$278 million, with the finance department estimating that it collects US$12 million against a potential US$24 million monthly.
Prepaid water has met stiff resistance from residents who argue that the Constitution and international conventions make water an inalienable right. Demanding that people pay for it first, they contend, will hit the poor hardest.
