Sundaymail Editor
Chief Reporter
AT LEAST 600 000 prepaid water meters will be installed countrywide in the next few months under the first phase of the programme, with Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare and Victoria Falls set to be the first beneficiaries.
According to an initial technical assessment done by the Government recently, Harare will have 320 000 prepaid water meters installed, while another batch of 320 000 will be installed in Mutare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
The second phase will see the remaining cities and towns across the country benefitting.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, the chief director of spatial planning and development in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Dr Shingirayi Mushamba, said the Government was now finalising contracts and procurement procedures to ensure the programme starts in earnest.
“The team has completed the assessment, and installation will be done in phases.
“So, under the first phase, Government will instal 640 000 prepaid water meters, with Harare set to receive 320 000, while the other 320 000 will be reserved for other local authorities,” Dr Mushamba said.
“After Harare, Government will instal the prepaid meters in Mutare, then Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, in that order.
“Once we have completed the first phase, we will move on to the second phase, which will concentrate on areas that would have not been included in the first phase.
“So, we are now working with other players involved to ensure that the signing of contracts and procurement of the prepaid water meters begins in earnest.”
Installation of prepaid water meters is an integral part of the planned privatisation of water services.
Under the new system, raw water purification, distribution, billing and wastewater management will be handled by private players.
The City of Harare will also get a new water treatment plant.
The Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, recently signed an agreement with the City of Harare, Hangzhou Liaison Technology Company and Helcraw Electrical for the privatisation of water services in Harare under a build, transfer and operate model.
The renewed drive to instal prepaid water meters countrywide comes over 10 years after their 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 fully take off.
But Zinwa managed to instal the prepaid meters at growth points and in small towns such as Mvurwi, Glendale, Nyanga, Mutoko, Chivhu, Murambinda, Gokwe, Guruve, Filabusi, Karoi and Hwange.
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 a number of water bodies, such as Kunzvi Dam and Lake Gwayi-Shangani.
Online Reporter