The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) has officially initiated the process of requesting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the development and implementation of a Prepaid and Smart Water Metering and Management System.
This decision, recorded in the latest council minutes, comes as part of efforts to address operational inefficiencies in the city’s water metering and billing processes.
The Director of Water and Sanitation reported during the November 26, 2024, council meeting that this move aligns with the 2024 Budget and Procurement Plan, initially intended for the Supply, Delivery, and Installation of Prepaid Water Meters across the city.
The request to shift from direct procurement to an EOI was endorsed as necessary to explore the feasibility and technical requirements of smart water metering systems.
Currently, Bulawayo has 136 156 metered water connections for both domestic and commercial customers.
However, BCC noted that the city’s reliance on manual meter readings by 33 meter readers has led to inefficiencies, with many customers receiving bills based on estimates rather than accurate usage.
“The City currently read its water meters using smart phones utilising 33 Meter Readers who were inadequate to cover the entire City on a monthly basis. As a result, the City was billing its customers based on estimates which introduced meter reading discrepancies,” read the council minutes.
“These were generally widely disputed by customers, leading to payment defaults. The current metering system was affecting the City’s revenue collection efforts and its ability to provide an efficient service to customers.”
BCC believes introducing prepaid and smart water meters could be “a solution to the operational challenges being experienced… which aimed to achieve accountability to customers, ensure accurate billing and improved revenue collection.”
It was noted that BCC was also using several types of water meters within its billing system and also intends to establish if these can be upgraded to provide prepaid and smart metering solutions.
BCC’s water metering system uses various types of meters, such as Elster Kent volumetric meters, V110 NRV KSM, sensus water meters, and Altair V4 DN15/20 volumetric meters and Kent Helix 4000 Waltmann type.
In addition to the technical aspects, BCC noted the EOI will also explore the legal framework surrounding the adoption of smart meters in Zimbabwe, including assessing compliance with Zimbabwe’s constitution and other regulatory requirements
Councillors emphasised the importance of site visits to other cities using smart water meters before making a final decision.
Councillor Perseverance Nyathi said visiting other local authorities using smart meters before a decision had to be made by the Committee was key.
Councillor Tinevimbo Maposa concurred, highlighting that the issue of prepaid meters had been previously discussed and three cities that were using smart prepaid meters had been identified.
“He requested a detailed report that would provide clear information thereby making it easier for the Committee and other Councillors to have an understanding of the smart prepaid meters,” read the council minutes.
Councillor Nkosilathi Hove Mpofu indicated that the general interest was in understanding how smart meters worked.
“He suggested that the Committee should familiarise themselves with their functionality, which would provide them with valuable knowledge when an Expression of Interest was granted…He advised on the importance of supporting the resolution which could then allow Council to advertise,” read the minutes.
Some councillors questioned whether the EOI should proceed before the site visits while others highlighted the need to consider residents’ previous objections to smart water meters.
The Principal Water Engineer explained the EOI process is essentially a feasibility study and does not commit the council to procuring or installing smart meters.
“An Expression of Interest was more like a feasibility study. At this stage nothing was being bought or installed. It was only gathering of information to note what was best for the City of Bulawayo,” he stated.
The engineer noted that the EOI would provide critical data on the project’s scope, including costs, required management systems, and technical specifications, information that would enable councillors to make informed decisions and effectively communicate the project’s benefits to residents.
The Legal Officer reinforced this point, clarifying that agreeing to the EOI does not imply approval for the procurement or installation of smart meters.
“Being in agreement with the Expression of Interest did not mean that the Committee had agreed that the smart meters be procured and installed. He highlighted that the site visit would help Councillors to have an enriched decision making and to observe whether the smart meters could work in the City of Bulawayo or not. What was good at another city might not work for the City of Bulawayo,” said the council minutes.
The council therefore resolved that it “be granted to change in the supplementary procurement request for the Supply, Delivery and Installation Of Prepaid Water Meters City wide to be replaced by a Request for Expression of Interest for Prepaid and Smart Water Meters and management system.”
