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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Bulawayo City Council is planning to install water flow limiter devices to restrict supply according to specific needs of consumers as the local authority moves to do away with water disconnections.

The device that restricts the flow of liquid to set individual limits daily may be a reprieve to low cost consumers as they would be able to set the amounts they use and able to pay for at the end of each month.

It can also ease water pressure from taps and has leak and tamper detection which are part of water management strategies.

According to the latest council report, the director of engineering services, Engineer Simela Dube said the flow limiters work to the advantage of rate payers.

“Because of the current challenges there is a need to look at the proposal to use flow limiters instead of disconnections as a water management strategy. The device restricts one’s consumption to predetermined levels of supply and it is most useful to those residents who cannot afford to pay their bills,” said Eng Dube.

He said the device would restrict residents to the allocation of 5kilolitres per month.

He, however, said specific water meters would need to be installed as the old water meters are not suitable for the initiative.

Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo, however, said the issue of the new devices could trigger a lot of queries from residents.

“The previous prepaid water meters were not well received by residents. The residents might object thinking that the prepaid water scheme is now being introduced through the back door,” she said.

She suggested that the report be considered after the consultative strategic meeting to be held in Hwange.

The Chamber Secretary Mrs Sikhangele Zhou said the proposed device would assist residents to manage their free allocation of five kilolitres without raising the issue of human rights around water provision.

“It would ensure every household still received the five kilolitre free allocation even in cases of non-payment which had previously resulted in complete cut-offs,” said Ms Zhou.

The local authority said the flow limiters may dispense between 10 to 50 000 litres of water up to two scheduled times daily thereby providing the ability to limit a consumer to a finite (negotiated) level of supply.

“This is especially useful in the case of low cost consumers who may never be able to pay for water, but nonetheless have the right to be provided with at least basic level of service.

“They also facilitate budgeting not only by the individual consumer but by social services, government departments and NGOs,” read the report.

The department of engineering recommended that the flow limiters or restrictors be installed in the domestic connections of all domestic consumers who have not paid their water bills for 60 days and those who owe council more than their water allocations.

“They will also be used for customers who over shoot their water consumption on three consecutive events where penalties no longer apply but these flow meters,” read the report.

The local authority said if the flow meters are tampered with on three occasions consumers would permanently be disconnected.

— @AuxiliaK.