Ten thousand water metres that have exceeded their lifespan will be replaced in the City of Ekurhuleni. The project will cost R16 million and will be overseen by the municipality.

The municipality said this project is an effort to ensure water consumers are billed correctly and the loss of non-revenue water is reduced in the city.

Non-revenue water is pumped into the city’s water supply network from Rand Water but is subsequently “lost” in the system, the city explained in a statement. This has largely resulted in the loss of water which the city said is “real and apparent”.

“Apparent losses occur when water is actually used but cannot be accounted for and is generally as a result of a combination of customer meter inaccuracies, unauthorised consumption or water theft, and data handling errors,” the city explained.

Tiisetso Nketle, MMC for water and sanitation in Ekurhuleni, said: “The aim of this project is to target and replace all aged domestic meters that are currently under-reading water consumptions, so as to increase the volume of water billed and thus accounted for by the city.”

According to the city, in the 2015/16 financial year, over 5,000 meters were replaced through this project.

“This year we are doubling that number to ensure that more consumers are able to access and read their meters,” Nketle said. He noted that this practice will lead to residents being aware of their consumption and save water.

The project began in February this year in some of the areas around the city and is expected to be completed by June 2018.

Meters that have been in operation for 20 years or more in Katlehong, Spruitview, Germiston, Alberton, Boksburg, Edenvale, Brakpan, Kempton Park, Tembisa, Nigel, Duduza and Springs will be replaced.

These meters have already been identified by the city’s water and sanitation department, and residents should expect a two-hour interruption during the installation, the city said.