Source: The Monitor
Sharon Omurungi
23 July 2009
Kampala — For a long time, many of Uganda's water users have had to grapple with the difficulties that stem from the water metre. For many of them it has been and still is difficult to decipher how their water bills come about. Sometimes, you may find yourself paying much more money than you should pay because you use the water less often and this can be frustrating.
Recently the prepaid water machine was introduced by the country's National Water and Sewage Corporation. The facility comes in handy to help you know the amount of water that you use within a given period. It also helps you to plan ahead for the amount of water that you intend to use.
Mr Jeff Kiiza Kabagambe, Head of Technical, Urban Pro Poor Project says, "the machine owner takes their token to the nearest vendor and recharges it once the water is finished. This can be recharged up to the amount of water that you want."
A pre paid water machine is an electrical water metre (it operates electronically). There are three categories of the prepaid machine which include; the Communal Water Dispenser (CWD) and the Public Water Point (PWP)
"These two are self explanatory; that is, CWD and PWP, and the tariff is for the low income earners; in other words, it functions like a normal phone booth," Mr Kabagambe explains.
The second one is Yard Tap (YT) which is installed in an enclosure of a minimum of eight homes or families.
"For the CWD, PWP and YT, they have the same operating system where after installation at a recommended location, the community around is mobilised to go for token registration for every home or any person working in the area." Mr Kabagambe says.
He adds that a token is registered free and it is the unit you have to use in order to use the system to dispense water at any of the unit you come across.
The third is the House Hold (HH) that is installed on private/ domestic premises or commercial premises; that is, washing bays and institutions. The HH uses only one programmed token, which is restricted to one metre.
The prepaid machine is far cheaper than the conventional metre because instead of the original Shs50 or 100 per jerrican, each 20 litre jerrican on the prepaid machine costs Shs19.64.
The general charge on a prepaid water machine is Shs982(one thousand litres) per water unit.
"National Water Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has been selling a 20litre jerrican at Shs17.43 (this is a tariff for the poor) but the people who could afford to apply and serve or sell to the poor have been over-charging them, thus asking for Shs50 to 100 a jerrican while on a pre- paid one using a token to draw water can be able to get a person three to six jerricans on the same amount of money," Mr Kabagambe says.
Mr Kabagambe says the pre paid machine was mainly set up for the poor to be able to access safe water at affordable costs.
Apart from the water being cheap, the machine teaches and helps one to save water because the customer pays before consumption.
For one to get the prepaid machine, they can go to the project office in Kisenyi 11 parish called Urban Pro Poor or any nearest NWSC office to get information on the machine.
"In this case, no one looks for you to pay your bills. This system does not have a conventional metre and it does not subject to disconnection since it is pre paid and NWSC lose nothing. It is up to the token holder to disconnect or reconnect themselves," Mr Kabagambe said.
About owning a prepaid machine Mr Kabagambe says it is only a House Hold type that can be owned as a business. The YT, CWD and PWP can only be owned privately.
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Mr Kabagambe says there are many benefits of owning a pre paid machine. For instance, one can access water on the actual price of NWSC ensuring that one is in full control of what they can afford. For example, one can load a given amount on his/ her token based on their budget. There is a 24/7 access supply on CWD, PWP & YT machines and there is no end- of- month bills and disconnections on YT & HH.
Mr Kabagambe explains, "NWSC has benefited from the operation because there are (fewer arrears ; there is reduced cost on our part. Revenue collection for pre paid machines has never dropped since it started."
A child drinking water from a tap. The prepaid water metre will help reduce the problems that come with wrongful billing.
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