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Northern Region Water Board to reintroduce prepaid meters

Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) has unveiled plans to reintroduce prepaid water billing meters earlier suspended due to technical challenges.

NRWB chief executive officer Titus Mtegha announced the plans in an interview in Karonga on the sidelines of a meeting the board had with  Concerned Citizens and Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Karonga Chapter on Tuesday.

NRWB officials and delegates during the meeting in Karonga

He said prepaid billing system will improve the board’s cash flow because customers will be paying upfront for the water they consume. Besides, he said, they will be in control of their consumption.

Said Mtegha: “The new billing system will ease the pressure on us as there will be reduced customers’ contact.

“Customers will also be controlling water consumption compared to the post-paid system.”

NRWB pioneered prepaid water billing in the country through a pilot phase implemented in Katoto, Chasefu and Chimaliro residential areas in Mzuzu City where 1 000 meters were installed.

This year, the board plans to install 5 000 prepaid meters as part of a European Investment Bank-funded 20.5 million (about K16.6 billion) Malawi NRWB Project to rehabilitate water supply system in Mzuzu.

The project envisages to have 15 000 prepaid meters installed by its completion. Karonga and Nkhata Bay are among NRWB supply areas set to have prepaid billing in due course.

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