Remember Deketeke
Harare will this week take delivery of 20 000 prepaid water meters to be installed at properties in the Central Business District before year-end, marking the start of a large-scale programme to modernise water management and improve revenue collection in the capital.
The installation of the first batch will pave the way for a broader rollout of 500 000 prepaid meters across Harare and surrounding towns under the Government’s water sector reform drive.
The programme also includes replacing old pipes, strengthening infrastructure maintenance and decentralising water treatment to guarantee consistent supply.
Ahead of the official launch in December, the city will receive a fleet of service vehicles from Helcrow Electrical, the company that is implementing the project.
The vehicles will be used to map underground infrastructure, trace leakages and support pipe replacement works, while the rest will be dedicated to operations and maintenance.
Prepaid meters work through a smart card system that allows residents to pay for water before use, much like electricity tokens.
Consumers can monitor their own usage and budget more effectively, while the council collects revenue upfront, eliminating debts, plugging leakages in billing and reducing illegal connections.
Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the initiative was already moving from planning to implementation.
“The first batch of vehicles has already been bought and is being handed over to the city on Monday (today),” said Minister Garwe.
“Government is committed to ensuring that residents receive reliable water services, and the introduction of prepaid water meters will plug revenue leakages and instil accountability.”
“This approach eliminates ballooning debts and illegal use, while providing the city with the resources it requires to repair infrastructure, replace pipes and guarantee consistent water supplies.”
Helcrow recently took delivery of 20 000 meters, with another 20 000 expected soon, bringing the initial phase to 40 000 units.
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said installation would begin in the CBD and suburbs with reliable water supplies.
“We are rolling out prepaid meters in a phased and orderly manner,” he said.
“We cannot install meters in areas that do not receive water regularly. Our first priority is the city centre and suburbs where supply is consistent, before expanding to other communities as infrastructure improves.”
The official commissioning of the meters and service vehicles is scheduled for December 12, when President Mnangagwa is expected to launch the project, Cllr Mafume told a recent full council meeting.
He described the move as “a significant milestone for Harare,” saying it would help curb non-payment, illegal use and revenue losses that have long crippled service delivery.
“This is a significant milestone for Harare,” he said.
“For years, we have battled with non-payment, illegal connections and revenue losses, but prepaid technology, combined with new pipes and vehicles, will turn the page.”
The prepaid system is being modelled on the successful roll-out of prepaid electricity meters, which revolutionised billing and collections in the power sector.
Helcrow has also been allocated land in Donnybrook to construct a water treatment plant that will draw from Kunzvi Dam to supply Harare’s eastern suburbs.
For decades, Morton Jaffray Water Works has been the city’s main treatment facility, but it has struggled under the weight of rising demand and ageing infrastructure.
Minister Garwe said decentralisation of water treatment was essential to the city’s future.
“Kunzvi will provide a reliable source for the eastern parts of Harare, complementing Morton Jaffray. It is part of Government’s broader efforts to ensure water security for the capital,” he said.
Authorities estimate that Harare currently loses up to 60 percent of treated water through burst pipes, illegal connections and outdated systems.
The prepaid meter programme, coupled with infrastructure renewal, is seen as critical to reversing these losses.
The project falls under a Build-Transfer-Operate model signed between Government, the City of Harare, Helcrow Electrical and China’s Hangzhou Liaison Technology Company, effectively privatising aspects of water purification, distribution, billing and wastewater management.
The renewed drive to install prepaid water meters countrywide comes 10 years after the initial introduction.
In 2014, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), in partnership with various local authorities, unveiled plans for the pay-as-you-go system.
However, Town House shelved the project in 2016 before it could take off.
But Zinwa managed to install the prepaid meters at growth points and in small towns such as Mvurwi, Glendale, Nyanga, Mutoko, Chivhu, Murambinda, Gokwe, Guruve, Filabusi, Karoi and Hwange.
The overhaul of the water system countrywide follows a deterioration in water provision, especially in major cities such as Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and Mutare.
Local authorities have been struggling to effectively deal with the problem.
As part of long-term solutions to water challenges plaguing major cities, the Government is presently constructing several water bodies, such as Kunzvi Dam and Lake Gwayi-Shangani.
The post Harare curbs water revenue loss through prepaid meters appeared first on herald.
The post Harare curbs water revenue loss through prepaid meters appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.