3 Kabwe Police camps have been ear-marked for Water prepaid meter installation
- Lukanga Water and Sewerage Company (LgWSC) reinforces the move by National Water and Sanitation Council (NWASCO), to address the changing landscape in the water supply sector through the provision of water pre-paid meters to its customers.
- The company has embarked on an exercise to install over 1500 pre-paid meters procured at the cost of K3.6 million.
- Chowa, Miliki Tembo and Kasanda are three police camps that have been ear-marked as part of this exercise following consultations with the Zambia Police management. The installation is scheduled to commence by this August 2016.
As the world evolves technologically, many utility companies in the energy telecommunications and water sector are shifting from post-paid to pre-paid billing system. With the ever-growing demand for water as the most sought after commodity, LgWSC has joined the rest of water utility companies in trying to reinforce its Regulator’s vision to have all water utility companies attain a 100% metering ratio on both its commercial and domestic customers.
Speaking in Kabwe, LgWSC Managing Director, Mushany Ngafise said that the installation of pre-paid meters will make it easy for the company to manage water supply hours, adding that this will make it easy for the company to document consumption trends and patterns for planning purposes.
Mr. Ngafise mentioned that prepaid meters are aimed at giving customers control over bills in that they will only be charged for the water they have consumed, and that this will positively affect the company’s service delivery.
He revealed that 3 Police Camps within Kabwe are among the recipients of the procured pre-paid meters.
“Chowa, Miliki Tembo and Kasanda are three police camps that have been ear-marked for the pilot project following wide consultations with the Zambia Police management, and that the installation is scheduled to be completed by October 2016” the Managing Director explained.
Meanwhile sensitisation programs aimed at preparing and sensitising the said communities for the shift to pre-paid billing system have already been launched.
Speaking in Kabwe, LgWSC Public Relations Manager Siwa Mwene explained that the water meters were coming at a great cost and that there was urgent need to sensitize the beneficiaries not only about the benefits but also how to take care of pre-paid meters.
She added that through sensitisation, the company is responding swiftly to address various misconceptions on pre-paid meters, adding that the company is handing a big win to its customers on this project.
“The company is handing a big win to the customers in that with pre-paid meters, no customer will experience disconnections, there will be no disputes over bills and customers will be able to budget efficiently” Ms. Mwene said.
Ms. Mwene also said that the introduction of pre-paid meters will help the company and its customers cut-down on the loss of Non-Revenue Water, adding that this will consequently increase supply in low pressure areas.
The project is expected to be rolled out through the entire Province in the near future after the success of pilot project. Meters have since been tested and they are ready for installation.
According to the National Water Sanitation Council (NWASCO) both commercial and non-commercial consumers are supposed to be metered so that they pay for the actual consumption and not flat tariffs which may be pegged on an estimated consumption.
LgWSC is a water utility company owned by all local councils in Central province and it is mandated by the Water Act to supply water to urban and peri-urban areas in Central Province.
its not a good idea believe me. Before you do it find out from your colleagues in lusaka what has become of the prepaid project on Government instituions. When credit runs out and the meter shuts, govt institutions cannot raise a payment within say 2 hours to buy credit so they will simply sink bore holes and cut you out. Once you loose business from Goverment, then it will be very difficult to sustain your operations. Yes Governemtm takes time to pay, but they still pay.
Sure why target the lowly paid Policemen who are already suffering in pre colonial houses and in some camps still using pit latrines.
Please don’t treat our officers like this. Govt should pay water and electricity for the bwanas. If you go ahead you will just increase corruption. When was the last time you increased their salaries. How much does a police constable get paid. Be fair. I rest my case.
this is JUST the begining………..ba BUJU.
It is the cash flow that they are more interested in. The customer pays them in advance then they use the same money to pay the costs. All utility companies dream about this system since it eliminates the need to go to the banks to borrow, except on large capital investments. well run utility companies actually end up lending the large cash to the banks and other portfolios. The customer never gets a rebate for paying in advance. It’s customer loose loose. another cash cow in the making for the ruling party.
Water billing shall improve water usage. It is in the past when GRZ workers were considered lowly paid. Now almost all of them are able to purchase cars and run businesses. Thank you to this Government. Of cause not all have ‘thank you” in their vocabulary but am sure a good proportion do thank the current government. After all that water is not as expensive as” mineral” water by far.
Good move…