By Tina George, Minna
Users of water in Niger state would soon get meters for water to enable them get charged approparatly for the water they consume, the General Manager of the Niger state Water and Sewage Corporation has disclosed.
According to him, the Corporation is introducing metering because of complaints by water users in the state that the are being billed exorbitantly.
Speaking to newsmen in Minna during the Urban WASH Quarterly Media Round-table, the General Manager said that with metering, the Corporation would be fair in charging its customers and ensure they get value for their money.
“We will soon introduce metering, domestic metering for water users in our urban areas. Through flat rate which we are doing now, we are using a lot and we are not charging adequately. Oftentimes, our customers accuse us of charging too much.
“In metering, we will be fair and just to presenting bills to the customers. In using flat rate, we don’t know what the consumer is consuming, we only charge them on what we assume they consume.
“As for the consumers, some consume more, some consume less, so if there is a meter, there will be a fair and just tarred system. So very soon, we will be having domestic water meters installed in houses.”
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman disclosed that N120 million is expended monthly to ensure that people get water in the state but the amount expended does not correspond with what the Water Corporation gets back as payment for water produced and sold to the people.
He noted that metering will go a long way in helping the Corporation which is now standing on its own to survive and make impact on the people.
Suleiman further said that the state is working at reticulating areas that do not get water saying that soon, all urban areas will have water flowing in their houses.
The Niger state Lead of USAID E-WASH, Hassan Mohammed in his address said that the corporation is working hard to address the issue of non-revenue water being experienced in the corporation stating that the metering will go further to address this development.
According to him, the Corporation has been provided with pipes, plumping tools and safety kits to carry out maintainance adding that production meters have also been brought to measure the production of water.
