Ogun State Water Corporation (OGSWC), has commenced the retrieval of unused prepaid water meters across the State as part of efforts to improve revenue generation, protect government-owned metering facilities and ensure effective utilisation of water infrastructure.

The retrieval exercise, commenced at Olorunsogo Road, Abeokuta South Local Government Area with the aim of identifying and retrieving unused meters that had stopped vending.

Speaking during the exercise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Water Resources, Hon. Damilola Otubanjo, said that the retrieval was necessary following the low level of utilisation of meters provided to residents at no cost by the State Government.

Represented by the Corporation’s Head of Project Implementation, Mr. Dosumu Adekunle, averred that government had distributed more than 8,000 prepaid meters to residents to improve access to potable water, adding that the low level of vending had implications for the Corporation’s revenue and its ability to maintain and expand water infrastructure across the State.

She added that revenue generated through water vending remained important to the sustainability of the Corporation, particularly in the areas of maintenance, repairs, rehabilitation and expansion of water facilities across the State.

“The State Government has invested significantly in providing these meters to residents free of charge to promote access to potable water. However, we observed that few customers are currently vending regularly. When customers do not vend, the Corporation loses revenue that could have been channelled into maintaining and improving the water supply system,’’ she said.

She added that prolonged non-use of the prepaid meters could affect the functionality of those meters which could result in their total damage.

According to her, the meters were fitted with internal batteries and regular use of the system was important to maintaining their operational condition, if the Corporation would not want to keep investing in procurement of new sets of Meters.

She therefore urged customers who had been provided with these free meters to vend at least once in every month regularly.