Hundreds of residents from Westlea and Warren Park suburbs in Harare have voiced strong concerns over the recent installation of pre-paid water meters by the Harare City Council, describing the move as worsening already fragile access to water and raising serious human rights questions.
Speaking during a community dialogue meeting organized by the Community Water Alliance (CWA), a grassroots civil society organization , residents drawn from Warren Park 1, Warren Park D and Westlea took turns to recount how the new system has disrupted their daily lives and strained household finances.
Participants at the meeting, which brought together people from diverse social and economic backgrounds, described the introduction of pre-paid water meters as premature and poorly thought out, arguing that residents were not adequately consulted before the programme was rolled out.
A Warren Park resident, Nickson Nyikadzino, said many residents view the programme with suspicion, alleging that the project primarily benefits private contractors linked to the procurement process.
“We feel the system was rushed without addressing the real problems affecting water delivery in the city,” Nyikadzino said, adding that residents believe the programme risks benefiting a few well-connected players while ordinary households bear the burden of rising costs.
Some residents said they have already abandoned municipal water due to the cost implications of the new system.
One elderly woman, who requested anonymity for fear of victimization, said she now relies on purchasing bulk water from alternative suppliers, which she claims has become a cheaper option.
“I have since stopped using council water because it has become unaffordable. Buying bulk water is now the only practical option,” she said.
Bulk water vendors in several high-density suburbs currently sell water ranging between US$1 and US$2 for a 60-litre container, meaning a typical household may spend between US$60 and US$80 per month depending on consumption patterns.
Residents also reported technical challenges linked to the new meters.
Tawanda Madondo, a resident of Westlea suburb, said he purchased water units worth US$45 on two separate occasions, but the units lasted less than 24 hours. “That amount of money used to cover a monthly bill under the previous system,” Madondo said.
According to residents, engineers from Helcraw, a firm involved in the installation process, indicated that the high consumption could be caused by leaking household pipes. The explanation left many residents questioning why the council proceeded with the rollout before addressing widespread infrastructure defects that may cause excessive water losses.
Concerns over water quality were also raised during the meeting. Some residents said they expected the new system to improve service delivery, including the quality of water supplied by the municipality. Instead, they claim the water remains discolored and sometimes contains visible particles.
In a symbolic gesture during the meeting, one resident brought a five-litre container filled with tap water and suggested that city officials drink it as proof that it is safe for consumption. The gesture drew strong reactions from participants who said the quality of municipal water continues to deteriorate.
However, councilors and city officials who had been invited to address the residents did not attend the meeting, citing other commitments. Residents subsequently called for an urgent engagement platform where they can directly interface with council officials to discuss the impact of the new billing system.
In his keynote address, Hardlife Mudzingwa,the National CWA, said the installation of pre-paid water meters forms part of a broader US$400 million loan programme being implemented by the Harare City Council.
Mudzingwa, argued that while improving revenue collection is important, the city should first prioritize repairing aging infrastructure to reduce water losses caused by leaking pipes and illegal connections. “Significant volumes of treated water are lost before reaching households due to dilapidated infrastructure,” Mudzingwa said. “Investing in repairing the network and reducing non-revenue water would have been a more cost-effective approach with immediate benefits for residents.”
He also cautioned residents against relying solely on boreholes, noting that groundwater in many urban areas has been contaminated due to decades of poor waste management and inadequate sanitation systems. Mudzingwa encouraged communities to continue advocating for improved services using peaceful and lawful means while engaging authorities constructively.