The Lusaka Water Supply and Sanitation Company (LWSC) says it will this March launch a citywide metering exercise to improve water accountability, ensure accurate billing, and promote responsible consumption.
The Water utility company says for years, some customers have been billed at a fixed charge, which often did not reflect their actual water consumption, leading to disputed charges and water wastage.
“To provide a more accurate billing system, LWSC is scaling up on metered billing, ensuring that customers are charged only for the water they use, and empowering them to manage their consumption efficiently,” said company Public Relations Manager, Ruth Mukuwa, in a statement issued to RCV News.
Ms. Mukuwa said the project involves installing 64,415 water meters across Lusaka Province and that the installation will begin in March 2025 and be phased over 12 months, with 60,415 postpaid meters and 4,000 prepaid meters to be installed in barracks and police camps.
She said the initiative also includes installing meters on unmetered customer connections, replacing faulty meters, and upgrading outdated and inefficient meters.
And in a public notice, LWSC Managing Director Jilly Chiyombwe called the initiative a game-changer for the Customer Billing System.
“For too long, some of our customers have been billed at a flat rate and sometimes estimates, regardless of actual consumption,” said Mr. Chiyombwe.
The metering exercise will be rolled out in phases, covering residential, commercial, and industrial areas and residents, businesses, and institutions have been urged to support the initiative by cooperating during installation, fixing leakages, using water responsibly, and reporting anomalies.
By Margaret Mwanza
