Rundu rolls out debt-recovering prepaid water meters
• 30% toward debt recovery
Rundu Town Council has set aside N$54 million for prepaid water meters to address the long-standing revenue collection challenges and ballooning consumer debt.
Mayor Gabriel Kanyanga explained during Monday's budget and tariff discussion that the system will automatically deduct a portion of water purchases to repay arrears, helping the council recover funds owed by residents.
“When you come to buy water, 30% of the amount will go toward the debt you owe, and the remaining 70% will be for your current consumption," Kanyanga said, adding that the system ensures that before any household can purchase water for the month, they must first settle charges for refuse, sewage and other municipal services.
Kanyanga said the shift will encourage residents to be more mindful of water use.
“You’ll start telling your children to close the tap while brushing their teeth,” he said.
System fully funded
According to him, the system is fully funded and awaiting implementation support from central government.
“We are just waiting to sit down with central government and roll it out to every single household in the town,” he said.
Kanyanga said 21 boreholes are being drilled to improve supply, including sites near Tumeneni Kumaru, Sunshine, Mass Housing and Unam Campus.
These will connect to elevated storage towers to provide gravity-fed distribution, reducing reliance on NamWater.
“The borehole we drilled at Andrias Kanjimi School is already connected. We are now building a higher tower nearby to connect even more residents,” he said.
Last month, Namibian Sun reported that the Rundu Town Council had launched its prepaid water metering system as part of a cost-recovery strategy to reduce its N$300 million debt to NamWater.
Roll-out already started
Phase one of the roll-out, which began on 7 February, has already been completed in Safari and Nkarapamwe, and is underway in Tutungeni.
So far, 1 021 households have been connected—438 in Safari, 196 in Nkarapamwe and 387 in Tutungeni—with more installations ongoing.
Council’s strategic executive, Fransiska Kupembona, said waste management remains a concern due to limited resources, especially in informal areas.
“We only have one operational refuse truck, and others are grounded due to mechanical issues. Currently, a private contractor handles waste collection and manages the dumping site in the formalised western parts of town," Kupembona said.
She added that the partnership has resulted in a massive improvement at the dumping site.
Kupembona said the council attempted a pilot service delivery project in Kehemu last year, but resource limitations continue to pose a challenge.
Mayor Gabriel Kanyanga explained during Monday's budget and tariff discussion that the system will automatically deduct a portion of water purchases to repay arrears, helping the council recover funds owed by residents.
“When you come to buy water, 30% of the amount will go toward the debt you owe, and the remaining 70% will be for your current consumption," Kanyanga said, adding that the system ensures that before any household can purchase water for the month, they must first settle charges for refuse, sewage and other municipal services.
Kanyanga said the shift will encourage residents to be more mindful of water use.
“You’ll start telling your children to close the tap while brushing their teeth,” he said.
System fully funded
According to him, the system is fully funded and awaiting implementation support from central government.
“We are just waiting to sit down with central government and roll it out to every single household in the town,” he said.
Kanyanga said 21 boreholes are being drilled to improve supply, including sites near Tumeneni Kumaru, Sunshine, Mass Housing and Unam Campus.
These will connect to elevated storage towers to provide gravity-fed distribution, reducing reliance on NamWater.
“The borehole we drilled at Andrias Kanjimi School is already connected. We are now building a higher tower nearby to connect even more residents,” he said.
Last month, Namibian Sun reported that the Rundu Town Council had launched its prepaid water metering system as part of a cost-recovery strategy to reduce its N$300 million debt to NamWater.
Roll-out already started
Phase one of the roll-out, which began on 7 February, has already been completed in Safari and Nkarapamwe, and is underway in Tutungeni.
So far, 1 021 households have been connected—438 in Safari, 196 in Nkarapamwe and 387 in Tutungeni—with more installations ongoing.
Council’s strategic executive, Fransiska Kupembona, said waste management remains a concern due to limited resources, especially in informal areas.
“We only have one operational refuse truck, and others are grounded due to mechanical issues. Currently, a private contractor handles waste collection and manages the dumping site in the formalised western parts of town," Kupembona said.
She added that the partnership has resulted in a massive improvement at the dumping site.
Kupembona said the council attempted a pilot service delivery project in Kehemu last year, but resource limitations continue to pose a challenge.
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