Story by Owen Mandovha
MORE than 15 000 prepaid smart water meters have been installed in Harare under the Government-led Harare Water Project, aimed at improving water supply and billing accuracy.
Implemented through a public-private partnership, the initiative combines the replacement of ageing water reticulation infrastructure with the rollout of prepaid metering systems. The project has been widely adopted in suburbs including Warren Park and Ashdown Park, effectively ending the City of Harare’s reliance on estimated billing.
Residents say the changes have brought both improved access to clean water and greater transparency in billing.
“In the past, we used to fetch water which came from the Warren Park Water Works through their water treatment works and this was not healthy at all. I was born in Warren Park and all these years we never got safe and clean water,” a resident said.
“We have seen massive improvement in water supply through the prepaid smart water system and for all the years since I started staying here more than 40 years ago, this is the first time I have managed to see water coming from our taps,” another stated.
“Now that there are these meters, we are now paying for what we use instead of estimates because we used to get bills which were not based on actual consumption,” a resident said.
Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume said the project offers a sustainable response to the city’s long-standing water challenges, with implementation led in partnership with Helcraw Water.
“This is the best solution for Harare residents that we have come up with in a PPP arrangement, and we have now installed more than 15 000 meters around Harare. The response has been positive so far, despite some resistance earlier due to lack of education awareness, but we are happy that many have understood the scope of the project, which shows how Government is moving to improve service delivery.”
Helcraw Water Chief Executive Officer Mr Zedock Muchoko said the project has also addressed infrastructure weaknesses.
“We have replaced old asbestos pipes, which created some leaks due to damaged pipes and we have also installed smart water meters, which have been embraced by the ratepayers.”
The prepaid system is also being adopted in other areas, including Karoi, Hwange, Guruve and Gokwe, where it is improving billing efficiency while supporting the delivery of clean and safe water.
