By Rosemary Campbell, Head of Water at Water and Sanitation for Urban Populations (WSUP)
Sub-Saharan Africa’s water utilities face significant challenges, including high non-revenue water (NRW) levels, often reaching 50% or more. This wastes precious water resources and means that vulnerable communities are not receiving the needed water. However, a glimmer of hope lies in digital solutions that can help utilities leapfrog legacy systems and improve their operations.
At WSUP, we have been working with utilities in Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia, Ghana, and Uganda to implement digital technologies that can make a real difference. In Madagascar, for example, we have set up 53 district metered areas (DMAs) in the capital city of Antananarivo, with 23 smart locks that enable easy and remote data downloading. This has resulted in savings of 6,000 ML and provided almost 800,000 people with water for the first time.
In one particular DMA in Antananarivo, we piloted an intelligent network management system that provided continuous water supply at constant pressure, saving half a million litres per day and over $150 per day. Similarly, in Mozambique, we have set up DMAs in Maputo and Beira with remote monitoring to the local utility’s control room at AdRMM. In Beira and Lusaka, Zambia, we have implemented remote control and pumping regimes with solar panels as an alternative energy source, leading to significant improvements in water supply.
One of the key challenges we have encountered is the lack of data and information available to utilities. Many records are kept in logbooks and never digitized, making it difficult to monitor trends and develop improvements, especially for vulnerable customers. By arming field staff with tablets and introducing open-source mapping, we have recorded the location of seen and unseen assets and all properties in an area and conducted detailed customer surveys.
In Uganda and Ghana, this approach has enabled field teams to identify illegal connections, missing meters, opportunities for further connections, and unknown valves and pipes. By having a comprehensively mapped system, we hope to introduce hydraulic models and even explore the idea of a digital twin.
Nakuru Water and Sanitation (NAWASSCO) have implemented a call centre service
We have also found that providing prepaid meters, ATMs, and staff meetings with customers to explain their bills can increase revenue and applications for new connections by as much as fourfold. With a continuous supply, customer satisfaction ratings increase dramatically, as a water point manager no longer binds customers.
Most importantly, this technology is key to encouraging utilities to meet their SGD6 goals of universal coverage. By identifying all properties on the asset mapping, it is easy to identify target customers and design efficient and effective processes for payments and installation. WSUP has made progress in its countries with this methodology, most recently making an impact in Uganda, Madagascar, and Ghana. We aim to broaden these pilot schemes across utilities and encourage governments to understand the implications.
As utilities increasingly seek advice on setting up overall IT systems, WSUP has been helping to develop strategies and ways forward in areas such as finance, HR, water quality, customer care, and operations. The aim is to create dashboards for senior management to ensure efficient decision-making.
However, the impact and sustainability of these digital solutions depend on system change. Technology only works if the human element is given due attention and the processes behind the system’s management are in place. There is still a long way to go. Still, by taking baby steps and learning from the example set by utilities like Singapore’s PUB, we can encourage our partners to follow a similar path towards digital transformation.
WSUP’s work in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia has already helped over 40 million people access improved water, sanitation, and hygiene. By partnering with local service providers and enabling them to develop services, build infrastructure, and attract funding, we are working towards a future where everyone can access clean water and sanitation, regardless of their circumstances.