RAWALPINDI: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) will install 140,000 meters in the garrison city to stop water wastage under a public private partnership.

A meeting held in this regard at the Punjab Private Public Partnership Authority in Lahore decided that 451,000 meters would be installed in the Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan districts of the province.

A senior Wasa official told Dawn that the agency will begin working on the project after completing a consumer survey in the garrison city.

He said that the meters would be installed for domestic consumers in the first phase and for commercial units in the second phase. The official said the meters were also being installed in the city to control the wastage of water.

Meters would be installed for domestic consumers in the first phase and for commercial units in the second phase

“After water meters [are installed], consumers will use less water and did not waste it washing porches and cars,” he said.

He said that Wasa estimates that residents will use 10pc to 30pc less water when meters have been installed.

Wasa receives a total of 20 million gallons of water daily (MGD) from Rawal Dam, along with 6 MGD from Khanpur Dam and 22 MGD from tubewells.

According to Wasa figures, it has a total of around 150,000 bill-paying consumers including 10,000 commercial ones. More than half its consumers pay their dues regularly, but the remaining are not paying at all.

When contacted, Wasa Managing Director Mohammad Tanveer said that the provincial government wants to launch the project on the public private partnership mode in Punjab’s four big cities.

He said the terms and conditions would be decided by the Punjab Private Public Partnership Authority in a few days.

Mr Tanveer said that the project aims to promote the judicious use of water and end wastage, and would also end excess billing.

He added that Wasa is working to repair old and rusting water supply lines and this work would bring water leakage and contamination to an end.

The agency is working to improve its recovery system and has introduced incentives for people who have not paid their water bills for many years, he said, adding that Wasa’s deficit has increased to more than Rs1 billion because of chronic defaulters, including educational institutions.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2020