WUC struggling to tame debtors
Water levels have decreased with all surface water dams standing at above 70 percent capacity except Gaborone and Molatedi dams, Water Utilities Corporation ( WUC) has said.
Giving the annual media update this week, CEO Gaselemogwe Senai said the total water under storage stands at 819.8 MCM compared to 961.4 MCM in 2021. The address was held under the theme, ‘ Resetting Water Infrastructure Development, a Path to Achieving National Water Security.’ Senai is however hopeful that the rainy season will be able to help the condition of the Gaborone dam otherwise they may be forced to implement some restrictions that will ensure the Gaborone dam does not run dry.
WUC Is satisfied with the supply of water in urban areas which goes up to 23.5hrs with 21.7Hrs and 20.4hrs per day in major and rural villages, respectively. “In total access to drinking water remains constant at 82 percent.” Senai explained that these figures are based on availability and reliability of infrastructure. Senai said they are losing a lot of water through dilapidated infrastructure which leads to frequent pipe leaks and bursts.
He explained that stuck meters, meter reading estimations and authorised unbilled consumption especially through bowsing to ungazetted areas leads to a total of 39 percent of drinking water being lost through non revenue water, as compared to their target of 19 percent loss of non revenue water. Senai explained that there are water leaks and revenue leaks in the organisation, further noting that domestic customer debt has reduced from last year The corporation is owed P1.031 billion. He explained that from 1st of October they will do away with estimating meter readings as they have incurred a loss due to estimated meter readings.
The domestic customer debt stands at over P780 million. Senai noted that they have embarked on a steadfast debt collection and where need be they will engage with debt collectors. The North South Carrier ( NSC) remains an important pipeline conveying water from Dikgatlhong and Letsibogo Dams to the central and southern part of the country, Senai noted. “With the recent infrastructure undertaking, the pipeline has been extended to reach Kanye and intermediate villages of Thamaga and Moshupa,” Senai said, further explaining that they are making progress in the north south water carrier.
WUC will implement a digital transformation drive. They have started a device management programme, that envisions delivery of world class water services in a reliable and sustainable manner. The corporation has been receiving a high customer complaining rate of around 33 percent and as a result embarked on a customer experience campaign. The complaints are about slow service turnaround times, unplanned water cuts, and poor communication from the corporation. This campaign will be a customer experience transformation program, which Senai said falls in line with the digitisation programme that they are implementing.
“A customer should have convenience, should have accessibility, should have reliability and should have effortless service.” He is hopeful that this will answer their customer complaints. Senai explained that they are about to award the tender for the Gaborone water reclamation water plant.
This plant will Improve the water supply for the Greater Gaborone area. In an interview with Botswana Guardian, Senai said that the water reclamation treatment plant has been in government’s books since the early 90s. He is adamant that they will be able to award the tender for this project sometime next year as they are in talks with all stakeholders involved in the project.
The corporation is hopeful that the National Development Plan ( NDP) 12 will be focused on network rehabilitation which will ensure that the percentage for non revenue water losses reduces. WUC will report perpetual defaulters to ITC in efforts to encourage people to come forward and pay their debts. Batswana are urged to open up their houses so that water utilities can adequately bill them.