CITY fathers in Masvingo have moved to introduce a smart water meter reading system with effect from this month in a move meant to improve accuracy in capturing meter readings at a time the city is struggling to meet water demand.
The local authority has been in a raging battle with residents demanding accuracy on the part of meter readers who stand accused of doing a shoddy job.
In a statement, the local authority told residents that it is resorting to a new meter reading method and pleaded for compliance.
"The City of Masvingo would like to notify residents and ratepayers that the council has migrated to Smart water meter reading with effect from the 1st of August 2023. Stakeholders are, therefore, requested to cooperate with the meter readers. The meter readers will be taking photographs of the meters using GPS-enabled devices," reads the statement.
However, the local authority has been challenged to repair damaged water meters urgently to improve efficiency and accuracy in the new system.
The burden to repair damaged water meters has been bestowed upon residents in recent years with residents forking out money to buy the meter from hardware shop suppliers around town.
The city has also been failing to cope with the demand for water supply which has been attributed to serious financial challenges at the townhouse to complete the Water Augmentation Phase Two.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) Director, Anoziva Muguti said they expect the new system to put an end to a nightmare for residents who have fallen victim to unscrupulous meter reading systems.
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"We welcome this development because residents have been victims of a shoddy job which was being done by meter readers who didn't visit all households but would resort to estimates. If this new system is well implemented, we hope to see fair bills that match water use per every household, said Muguti.
He also added: "As residents, we look forward to an explanation on whether this new system will help to address the issue of faulty meters or not. The water supply situation continues to be our worry because residents are getting water in the wee hours of the day and what pains us is that the high bills being sent to residents don't match the supply."
Contacted for comment, City of Masvingo Public Relations Officer, Ashleigh Jinjika told NewZimbabwe.com that they are now selling new water meters at their offices at flexible payment terms.
"Residents that have faulty meters can now approach our offices and get the meter for US$90 which is payable in three months. We will also install the meter for free," said Jinjika.
Residents have been receiving skyrocketing water bills and some accuse the council meter readers of estimating figures.
This comes at a time the city is also struggling to meet up with the demand for water supply.
The City of Masvingo currently has a daily pumping capacity of 30mega liters against a demand of up to 60mega liters.
The local authority is, however, in the process of trying to secure funding to undertake its Water Augmentation Phase Two.
