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NRWB installs 8 000 prepaid meters

Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) says it has installed 8 000 prepaid meters in its supply areas during the first phase from December 2019 to June 2020.

In an interview yesterday, NRWB chief executive officer Titus Mtegha said the board is pleased with positive reaction from customers for the new initiative.

“We are migrating from post-paid to pre-paid billing system as one way of responding to customer needs and also moving with technology,” he said.

NRWB plumbers installing pre-paid meters in Karonga

He said through the Malawi NRWB Water Efficiency Project financed by the European Investment Bank, 5 000 meters were installed in Mzuzu while 3 000 were installed in the board’s other areas, including Karonga.

Said Mtegha: “In August, we will proceed with phase two with the installation of 10 000 pre-paid meters in Mzuzu because the demand for the meters is rising.

“I hope we are moving in the right direction as customers are happy and are able to monitor their consumption. There is a renewed drive in efficient utilisation of water now than before.”

Penjani Mwakasungula, a NRWB customer, commended the board for introducing the pre-paid billing meters, saying they are efficient and cost-effective.

“In the past many customers were not satisfied with the bills that were given to them, saying they were not tallying with water usage,” he said.

NRWB has about 60 000 customers, thereby serving about 400 000 people in urban and peri-urban areas in the Northern Region.

The board plans to migrate all customers from post-paid to pre-paid meter billing systems before 2025.

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