LAHORE, Oct 23: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) has started a survey in an effort to meter all water connections in the city, it is learnt.

The meters will be installed in three phases after the survey is over next month.

Out of more than 400,000 legal water connections in the city, only a few thousand are metered.

Wasa officials say tenders have been called for the purchase of meters and in the first phase, the applicants of new connections who have already deposited fee for the purpose will be provided with metered supply of water, while commercial connections will be taken up in the second phase.

In the third phase, meters will be installed on all the domestic lines and the task will be completed in the next calendar year though no deadline in this regard has yet been decided, they say.

Wasa’s all operational and non-operational staff have been involved in the survey, the officials say.

The authority, they say, wants to make all its consumers pay for the water consumed by them as the 11 paisas increase in power tariff has swelled its electricity bill by millions of rupees.

Meanwhile, Wasa’s campaign against illegal connections is continuing. It has provided application forms to all its sub-divisional offices, authorizing the SDOs to approve the connections within a week.

Earlier, the forms were available only with the office of the deputy director, revenue (Wasa), and the people residing in suburbs were facing problems in applying for water connections.

People with illegal water connections have been asked to pay connection fee only for getting their supply legalized by Oct 31. Afterwards, heavy surcharge will be imposed, warns Wasa.

About water pressure in Wasa pipelines, the officials say the authority is responsible for supplying water at the ground floor. “We have been advising the consumers through a message on water bills to construct underground reservoirs and install electric pumps to lift water to their overhead tanks.”

They say the installation of water pumps on supply lines is illegal.

OVERHEAD RESERVOIR: The agency abandoned its overhead reservoir system for supply of water during the last military era and adopted the direct injection system for fear of any subversive activity.

Wasa officials said the decision was taken after water in some coolers meant for pilgrims had been found poisoned during Haj in Saudi Arab. “The authorities here decided to go for direct supply of water to prevent the happening of such incident in Pakistan,” an official claimed.