Public scrutinising water meter replacement project, MCLM explains
The municipality gave some clarity regarding its conventional water meter replacement project after some burning questions from residents.
Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) has provided more clarity on the conventional water meter replacement project which rolled out last month.
This is after they have been inundated with inquiries from the public.
For starters, Water Services wished to clarify that prepaid meters that are fully functional and have not been tampered with will not be replaced nor converted to their conventional metering capability.
On their official website, the municipality stated further, “Linked to the aforesaid and to clarify the current confusion around this project, it is important to mention that the current prepaid meters have a dual function – that they have both prepaid and conventional capability. However, Mogale City is no longer investing in prepaid meters as they have proven to be expensive to maintain.”
• Also read: Municipality rolls out conventional water meter replacement project
According to MCLM, this means the municipality no longer has reparation material for these meters in stock and will not be purchasing any more material moving forward.
“Thus, when a faulty meter is reported, our artisans will do an assessment and convert such a meter from prepaid and activate the conventional functionality to minimise replacement costs. Only in instances where the conversion from prepaid to conventional is problematic, the meter will be completely replaced with a new conventional meter.
“Correspondingly, meters that have been bypassed or tampered with will also be converted or replaced if required as explained above. Residents and businesses should note that a bypassed water meter involves illegally tampering with our meter so it does not accurately record water consumed thus allowing a consumer to use water without paying for it. This is a major contributor to revenue loss that also impacts on us providing services.”
Furthermore, MCLM said their Water Services is aware that some prepaid consumers who have been using water without paying for it started purchasing water following their initial public notice.
“Such meters will still be converted as they have been bypassed. We therefore request the cooperation of affected residents and businesses to ensure that the project is rolled out as hassle-free as possible. Again, not only will the meter restoration, legitimate functioning, and correct billing ensure we build sustainable water supply services but a stable city conducive to residential, business, and economic growth.”
