Nairobi — Members of the Nairobi County Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a motion to have the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC) digitize water meters, as part of measures to save on wastage.

The mover of the motion Mwaura Samora, ward representative for Clay city said if implemented, this will enable city dwellers to only pay for what they intend to consume.

MCA Samora said the digital water meters would emulate the Kenya Power tokens model, which allows city households to buy power within their own budget and as per their consumption.

"Having digital water meters is doable because we have private water suppliers who are already doing it, and this will also help solve the problem of billing as well as preventing wastages," MCA Samora stated.

In July this year, the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company sought the approval of the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) to have water prices increased by up to 40 per cent, to enable them recover costs, pay loans and upgrade infrastructure.

If the new planned tariff adjustment is approved, this will force water consumers to dig deeper into their pockets, a painful blow coming at a time when the cost of living has risen to unprecedented levels.

According to the proposed rates, Nairobi residents who consume an average of 15 cubic metres of water per month or 15,000 litres should expect to part with about Sh1,685 up from the current Sh1,241.

This amount is inclusive of sewerage charges - which are 75 per cent of the amount charged on water units consumed - and Sh50 as meter rent.