By Beverly Bizeki
MASVINGO – As council continues to lose income through non-revenue water, councilors have suggested that the local authority puts effort into providing water metres for residents with non-functional water meters to reduce losses.
It was noted in Public Works and Planning Committee minutes dated April 8, 2024, that non-revenue water for March 2024 translated to US$384 135. 60 where residents were urged to buy water meters.
“The committee deliberated at length on the need to continuously monitor strategies implemented to reduce non-revenue water. It was reported that council had been in a revolving scheme for stuck water meter replacement and residents were also encouraged to buy water meters to replace stuck ones to pay for actual water consumption,” read part of the minutes.
Speaking in an interview, Ward 10 Councilor Sengerayi Manyanga said council was supposed to chip in by providing affordable metres for the residents.
“The issue of nonfunctional meters is tricky. Our debit bill is increasing because of nonfunctional meters those with stuck meters are either being undercharged or overcharged because these are estimates. Some of these people are the ones selling water because nonfunctioning water charges are constant hence they can sell millions of litres.
“As council we must make a plan and at least consider these nonfunctional meters to be council property and replace them to get accurate water charges because we might be charging less or more. Those with nonfunctional meters must be charged more so they can approach council for functional meters to get accurate readings,” said Manyanga.
Commenting on allegations that some residents were reluctant to replace stuck meters because they were in the business of selling water as they are going to be undercharged, Masvingo City Mayor and Ward 2 Councilor Alec Tabe said it could be true and was resulting in errors in billing.
“Council owning up water meters could be the way to go because most property owners are reluctant to replace their meters yet part of the non-revenue water is accounted for through underestimations for people with stuck meters or non-functional meters. Some property owners are reluctant to replace their meters because they might be getting undercharged. This is why we think it might be true that some of the people with stuck meters are supplying fresh water to residents in areas like Victoria Ranch.
“We urge residents to however report and replace their meters in time whenever they discover that it has become stuck or not functioning to avoid being overcharged,” said Tabe.
Tabe further said council was working on minimizing time council takes to fix disruptions in water supply to avoid council losing more revenue through water supplied to residents.
“On areas that might incur disruptions in water supply, we are working on reducing timeframes to fix the problems because the water that we supply water with bowsers is not billed and this also adds to non-revenue water,” said Tabe.
