Assessing the impact of installation of prepaid water meters on performance of lilongwe waterboard

Abstract

The impact of the installation of prepaid water meters on the performance of Lilongwe Waterboard, a water utility company in Malawi, was the main focus of this study. A survey was conducted among corporate consumers using prepaid water meters, and the data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that prepaid water meters have improved the billing of corporate customers, with monthly bills decreasing significantly after the introduction of prepaid meters. However, customers still faced challenges such as inconsistent water supply, high installation costs, high operational costs, inability to purchase water due to poor network, and low water pressure. The study recommends that Lilongwe Waterboard should continue to improve its services to minimize customer complaints. Further research is needed to assess the impact of prepaid water meters in other locations. Due to its high cost and the service provider's inability to maximize revenue from the generated billing, the system has received a lot of criticism from customers. It is necessary to determine the billing patterns prior to and following the implementation of prepaid water meters and to assess the impact of those patterns on the operation of the Lilongwe Waterboard.