News / Local
BCC installs pre-paid water meters
30 Oct 2013 at 20:38hrs | Views
THE Bulawayo City Council has embarked on a pilot project to install pre-paid water meters in Cowdray Park's Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai section with a view of adopting the system to cover the whole city.
Pre-paid meters have an advantage in that consumers pay for the actual consumption and there is no carryover of the debt. Residents who fail to pay will not receive water.
The council's director of finance, Mr Kimpton Ndimande, told stakeholders at a budget consultation meeting on Tuesday that the pre-paid meter technology was efficient in debt management and would curb problems of over billing.
"The programme to install pre-paid meters is on course and it will be piloted in Cowdray Park at the Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai houses. At the moment that is the only place in the city that is getting water for free.
"Our engineers have started laying pipes in the area and we need to put these pre-paid meters. We will be flighting a tender for that project on a pilot basis and see how the system works," said Mr Ndimande.
"Pre-paid meters are relatively expensive but they are the best for credit control. Such a system will assist in debt management and detection of vandalism."
Local authorities like Harare are also piloting the project while Zesa has already rolled out the programme to thousands of households.
The council has been engaged in repeated conflicts with residents who have accused it of inflating bills and using estimated readings.
Recently, the Government had to intervene when it ordered the writing-off of debts accrued to residents' accounts between February 2009 and June this year.
Explaining the billing system during the meeting, an official from the finance department who declined to be named, acknowledged that estimated readings were used for residents who lockout meter readers from their houses.
He, however, said charges such as rates, pipeline levy, water connection, rentals, sewer and refuse removal were fixed.
"The only variable that always causes problems with billing is water consumption and sewer based on the amount of water used. At the moment only 60 percent of meters are read regularly and 40 percent are not," said the official.
Pre-paid meters have an advantage in that consumers pay for the actual consumption and there is no carryover of the debt. Residents who fail to pay will not receive water.
The council's director of finance, Mr Kimpton Ndimande, told stakeholders at a budget consultation meeting on Tuesday that the pre-paid meter technology was efficient in debt management and would curb problems of over billing.
"The programme to install pre-paid meters is on course and it will be piloted in Cowdray Park at the Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai houses. At the moment that is the only place in the city that is getting water for free.
"Our engineers have started laying pipes in the area and we need to put these pre-paid meters. We will be flighting a tender for that project on a pilot basis and see how the system works," said Mr Ndimande.
"Pre-paid meters are relatively expensive but they are the best for credit control. Such a system will assist in debt management and detection of vandalism."
The council has been engaged in repeated conflicts with residents who have accused it of inflating bills and using estimated readings.
Recently, the Government had to intervene when it ordered the writing-off of debts accrued to residents' accounts between February 2009 and June this year.
Explaining the billing system during the meeting, an official from the finance department who declined to be named, acknowledged that estimated readings were used for residents who lockout meter readers from their houses.
He, however, said charges such as rates, pipeline levy, water connection, rentals, sewer and refuse removal were fixed.
"The only variable that always causes problems with billing is water consumption and sewer based on the amount of water used. At the moment only 60 percent of meters are read regularly and 40 percent are not," said the official.
Source - Chronicle
