Delinquent debtors will not get smart water metres
Spira Tlhankane | Tuesday August 13, 2024 08:58
The soon to be launched smart water prepaid metering programme is set to take about three years to be completed. The first 100 have already been installed in some parts of Gaborone. Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) CEO, Gaselemogwe Senai, told journalists this week that no debt will be written off and they will agree on a repayment strategy which includes paying 75% of the debt and settling the remaining 25% through installments. He added that if debtors don’t agree to pay the outstanding bill, the Corporation will move on to the next customer.
WUC started installing some smart meters in Gaborone on July 26, 2024 and intends to install 35, 000 in Gaborone only and 13, 000 in the Mogoditshane-Gabane cluster. He said as they move on they will also install another 13, 000 meters in the Ramotswa-Tlokweng-Otse cluster. The smart water prepaid metering programme will take about three years to be completed in the country. “The intention is to complete all these clusters by January next year,” he emphasised. Senai added that smart meters compared to the old meter are expensive because of associated costs. He however clarified that Batswana will bear no costs when it comes to installation and the meters. Senai also highlighted that the introduction of smart water meters will eliminate issues of non-revenue water, which is water which is lost before reaching the customer. Batswana have for so many years many been complaining about debts created by high water bills.
For his part Minister of Lands and Water Affairs Kefentse Mzwinila revealed that smart prepaid metering which will be launched by President Mokgweetsi Masisi will resolve issues of high water bills. The minister reiterated that the programme will be rolled out in phases starting with Gaborone where there is high water usage. Mzwinila said Batswana have been complaining about high water bills caused by high usage, faulty meters and pipe leakages, adding that by introducing smart meters they will resolve issues of high water bills because people will now work with prepaid water. “The bill will show your water usage, and will help us identify leakages,” he said while acknowledging that it took them a long time to bring smart meters. Mzwinila said prepaid water is not the same as prepaid electricity because they needed some kind of technology.