Johannesburg Water has launched a new project that will replace customer meters in order to address the back log in technical faulty meters, according to a statement released by Johannesburg Water’s Marketing and Communication Manager, Millicent Kabwe recently.

According to Kabwe, JW has appointed seven contractors: Bluestone Trench Technologies, F and A Civils, Letswamotse Civil Engineering, Mapitsi Civil Works, Sakhile Projects, S. Monamodi and Daughter and Sydwell Shabangu Projects to install approximately 33 000 meters over a period of three months (April, May and June 2013).

“The contractors will ensure that the metering of water being supplied to customers is effective and efficient. This will assist Johannesburg Water record water flow data as well as to improve the quality of their water demand and conservation strategy. Customers can also now be more confident that they are getting accurate consumption monitoring and billing.”

The contractors will be doing a number of things to replace the leaking/faulty meters and valves. These include:

• Raising of meters which have been buried
• Locating meters which have been labelled “unable to locate”
• Where meters are located within customer properties, these meters will be moved to outside of the customers’ property to create easy access for Johannesburg Water meter reading staff.
• Meters that are scheduled for replacement will be exchanged with above ground meters so meters do not become buried again in the future.

According to the statement, residents can be assured that all the work that the contractors do will reinstate the meters to what it was previously or make it better. The responsible contractor will repair any new installations which are reported. The project is already up and running and the meter replacement will be done in areas that fall within the jurisdiction of the city.

“All contract workers will have identification cards with them at all times to ensure that residents can identify them. No employee at any stage should be allowed access inside the house; all work will be done outside the houses.”