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Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent

Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has so far installed more than 20 000 prepaid water meters in remote areas to ensure that clients have control of their water consumption.

This initiative, which is in line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1) targets small towns, growth points, and rural service centres where ZINWA provides service.

The ZINWA corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said by the end of last year, 20 346 prepaid water meters had been installed in Karoi, Hwange, Chivhu, Nyanga, Mutoko, Filabusi, Mvurwi and Gokwe.

“Of these meters, 5993 were installed in Karoi, 1 827 in Nyanga, 1 513 in Filabusi, 972 in Gokwe, 2 013 in Chivhu, 1 171 in Murehwa, 2 527 in Mutoko, 1 360 in Mvurwi and 2 857 in Hwange,” she said.

Mrs Munyonga also said they are targeting to install 35 000 pre-paid water meters for free during this first phase and have since received part of the consignment.

“ZINWA intends to install 35 000 pre-paid water meters by the end of the first phase of the roll-out and the Authority has already taken delivery of 3 000 more prepaid water meters which are still undergoing testing and calibrations,” she said.

The current rollout is targeting domestic clients, businesses, schools, churches, parastatals, and other institutions.

The rollout of the prepaid water meters follows the successful piloting of the concept in Mvurwi and Chivhu between 2019 and 2021 when the full-scale rollout commenced.

The installation of prepaid water meters is expected to help in the improvement of service delivery with resources previously used in activities such as meter readings and bills distribution now being directed towards other service delivery activities such as attending to breakdowns.