News / National
Harare postpones prepaid meters
17 Jan 2016 at 09:12hrs | Views
Harare has further stalled the prepaid water meters pilot project with the local authority indicating that the new system will now begin anytime during the second quarter of the year.
Initially, city officials had hinted that the pilot project would commence in October 2015 with the city rolling out a mega programme this March.
However, towards the end of last year, council postponed the pilot project to January 2016.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, city officials indicated that the pilot project would start in the next four months, but could not shed light on the exact date.
It is understood that the Harare City Council recently awarded tenders to five companies that are expected to supply 2 000 pre-paid water meters targeting households in Avenues, Milton Park, industrial areas and the Central Business District.
The selected meters had revised specifications to include a local concentrator that uses radio signals to communicate with a server at the main water station.
They also have a facility to adjust water pressure to suit consumers' different needs.
The pilot programme will target properties with continuous water supply, customers with non-functional meters, industrial and commercial properties as well as new housing projects.
Harare City Council corporate communications manager, Mr Michael Chideme said the local authority is fine tuning certain elements but maintained that introduction of the new water meters is inevitable.
"We have finalised the tender process and we have already awarded the tenders to five companies.
''We are going ahead with the project this year," he said.
Mr Chideme said the project is a water conservation tool that will enable Harare residents to optimize water use and help the city to equitably distribute the commodity to all suburbs.
Introduction of pre-paid water meters was mooted early last year, thereby triggering an uproar as consumers argued that the meters are unconstitutional as the supreme law guarantees the right to water.
Section 77 of Zimbabwe's Constitution says every person has the "right to safe, clean and potable water, and (b) sufficient food and the State must take reasonable legislative and other measure, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realization of this right".
Human rights watchdogs say that right would be negated if a person fails to pay for water in advance.
The activists argue that various international conventions make water an inalienable right and demanding payments first will hit the poor hard.
A World Bank study indicates that Harare is not the first African city to go the pre-paid water meter route.
Johannesburg, Kampala, Nairobi, Maputo, and Lusaka, among other cities, are making use of the meters.
In South Africa, where the system was introduced in 2009, there is a Free Basic Water Access policy.
Johannesburg Municipality says it saved R800 million in the 2013-14 period through prepaid water.
Initially, city officials had hinted that the pilot project would commence in October 2015 with the city rolling out a mega programme this March.
However, towards the end of last year, council postponed the pilot project to January 2016.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, city officials indicated that the pilot project would start in the next four months, but could not shed light on the exact date.
It is understood that the Harare City Council recently awarded tenders to five companies that are expected to supply 2 000 pre-paid water meters targeting households in Avenues, Milton Park, industrial areas and the Central Business District.
The selected meters had revised specifications to include a local concentrator that uses radio signals to communicate with a server at the main water station.
They also have a facility to adjust water pressure to suit consumers' different needs.
The pilot programme will target properties with continuous water supply, customers with non-functional meters, industrial and commercial properties as well as new housing projects.
Harare City Council corporate communications manager, Mr Michael Chideme said the local authority is fine tuning certain elements but maintained that introduction of the new water meters is inevitable.
"We have finalised the tender process and we have already awarded the tenders to five companies.
Mr Chideme said the project is a water conservation tool that will enable Harare residents to optimize water use and help the city to equitably distribute the commodity to all suburbs.
Introduction of pre-paid water meters was mooted early last year, thereby triggering an uproar as consumers argued that the meters are unconstitutional as the supreme law guarantees the right to water.
Section 77 of Zimbabwe's Constitution says every person has the "right to safe, clean and potable water, and (b) sufficient food and the State must take reasonable legislative and other measure, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realization of this right".
Human rights watchdogs say that right would be negated if a person fails to pay for water in advance.
The activists argue that various international conventions make water an inalienable right and demanding payments first will hit the poor hard.
A World Bank study indicates that Harare is not the first African city to go the pre-paid water meter route.
Johannesburg, Kampala, Nairobi, Maputo, and Lusaka, among other cities, are making use of the meters.
In South Africa, where the system was introduced in 2009, there is a Free Basic Water Access policy.
Johannesburg Municipality says it saved R800 million in the 2013-14 period through prepaid water.
Source - sundaymail
