Global firms to install water meters in city

Parched Mumbaikars may soon get a reprieve. A shortage of 700 million litres of water every day in the city will soon be met with the civic body planning to install 3,00,000 water meters in the city.

On November 27, fate of four European companies, who have bid for the Rs230 crores project, will be decided. The selected firm will have to install these meters over a period of five years across the city.

Nearly 25 per cent of water supply to the city, 3,150 litres, gets wasted through leakages and theft making it impossible for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to meet the city’s demand of 4,000 litres of water every day. Chief Hydraulic Engineer, Deepak Kajabaje assured that once the metres are installed civic body’s revenue will also increase, resulting in an improved water tariff system. “It will also put less pressure on the consumer,” said Kajabaje.

The households in the city get water through 3,72,485 water connections. Moreover, the metering will also ensure that the individual is billed for the amount of water he consumed instead of the present system where the water bill for a single connection is averaged among all consumers.