Harare prepaid water meter roll-out begins

The City of Harare, through its implementing partner Halcraw Electrical, has begun the installation of prepaid water meters, marking a major step toward improving revenue collection and promoting efficient water use across the capital.

At least 50 residential flats received their new prepaid meters yesterday in the first phase of the rollout, which began in the central business district at Birdcage Walk Flats and Calder Gardens.

Speaking during the installation of the first batch of 25 meters, Halcraw Electrical managing director Mr Brendon Jere said the prepaid system would help eliminate losses from non-revenue water while ensuring residents only pay for what they consume.

"What we want is to cut losses by reducing non-revenue water to less than five percent and make sure that people get the water they have paid for," said Mr Jere.
"As we work with the City of Harare, we are going to fix and replace burst pipes to deal with non-revenue water. We are also going to replace the existing postpaid meters with prepaid meters in areas receiving water."

He added that Halcraw Electrical would also assist in rehabilitating Morton Jaffray Water Works to boost capacity and extend water supply to previously dry suburbs.

"We are all going to see water coming out in places that haven't received water. This is in line with our President's vision that by 2030 every household will have access to potable water at its doorstep," he said.

Currently, Harare loses an estimated 60 percent of treated water before it reaches consumers - a figure that translates to over US$3 million in monthly losses. The phenomenon, known as non-revenue water, results from leaks, faulty meters, and illegal connections, and has severely strained the city's finances and service delivery.

Laison Technologies vice president Mr Clark Dai, who was training City of Harare officials on the installation process, said the programme also includes a skills transfer component.

"Those who have been trained will help with the full installation of pipes and meters, as well as train others in meter replacement and maintenance," said Mr Dai.

Residents and property owners have welcomed the development, expressing optimism that the prepaid system will bring fairness and reliability to water supply.

Birdcage Walk Flats property owner Mr Elias Kaseke said the old billing model had penalised paying residents.

"The previous billing system negatively affected both paying and non-paying residents. I hope the prepaid meters will ensure consistent water supply and fairness," he said.

Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust national chairman Mr Shalvar Chikomba also hailed the initiative.

"Gone are the days when people did not have water. Now people will pay for what they use, and non-revenue water will be a thing of the past," said Mr Chikomba.

The prepaid water meter rollout forms part of the City of Harare's broader strategy to improve water infrastructure, enhance revenue collection, and align with the national vision of universal access to clean water by 2030.