Guma Valley Water Company has on Wednesday 29th September, 2021 signed a contract worth $ 1.5 million for the procurement, delivery and installation of five thousand one hundred (5100) meters with BAYLAN LINKING PVC. at a ceremony held at Guma Building, Lamina Sankoh Street.
Speaking during the ceremony, Guma Deputy Managing Director, Ing. Francis Lahai, explained that the metering of customers water supply connections is part of the interventions under the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project.
Ing. Lahai said the rationale behind the move is to increase on the revenue generation of the company, reduce non-revenue water and thereby improve on the water supply situation as a whole.
The Deputy Managing Director added that Guma is moving in a new direction and that new direction is towards universal metering in the next five years.
Ing. Lahai stated that four types meters; ultrasonic, smart, mechanical and telemetric meters will be installed together with some bulk meters.
The Managing Director of Guma Valley Water Company, Ing. Maada Kpenge noted the significance of the contract, adding that metering is one of the company’s key strategies to conserve water and improve on access. He disclosed that a new tariffing regime for Guma has been approved by the Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (EWRC) and this he said will increase the revenue generated by the company and the sustainability of water supply.
Ing. Kpenge said 1360 of the meters will be prepaid meters; and this will be targeted at Government institutions and commercial enterprises, 2400 meters mainly for residential homes and 1240 ultrasonic meters.
The Guma MD added that the company had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Youth Commission (NaYCom) and Government Technical Institute (GTI) for the recruitment and training of Plumbers that will be involved in the meter installation exercise.