A water meter constitutes a significant input in the normal operations of water utilities. The meter bridges the gap between the demand for water (consumers) and the supply of the service (water utility). It is the sole determinant of the volume supplied to the consumer. To the utilities, it is the sole determinant of the bill that should be levied against the consumed volume.

The challenge of Non-Revenue Water (commonly referred to as Unaccounted for Water) emanates in part from in accurate meters that do not register the actual volumes supplied to an area (to establish  a water  balance), to  the  consumer  (for proper  billing)and –subsequently-the efficient/effective management of available (often scarce)water resources.

In Kenya, there are laid down technical guidelines for water meter management – informed by international standards and leading practices of Kenyan water utilities. These guidelines are important to all stakeholders, particularly the Water Service Providers. They serve as a quality assurance to the consumers and the general public as to the specific intent to improve the reliability of water meters in use.

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Dayliff water meter The various Dayliff water meter types are robust and economical designs for monitoring residential, commercial and agricultural consumption. All meters are remote monitoring enabled and pulse cables are available on request. Sizes are available from DN15 to DN100 in three different ranges as follows: –

MJ – A high precision and reliable multi jet dry type water meter designed for general water supply metering applications. It features magnetic drive for lower transmission resistance, a magnetic shield for external magnetic field protection and a sealed dry dial to ensure clear and easy reading. The body is made from composite plastic for DN15 and DN20 sizes and brass for larger sizes. Meters are supplied with inlet strainers and union connectors.

PD – Rotary piston type meters that provide high accuracy over a wide flow range. The mechanical transmission movement provides reliability and the liquid sealed register provides easy and clear reading. Meters are fitted with internal strainers; non-return valves and union connectors and the bodies are made from composite plastic (15mm size) and corrosion resistant steel for other sizes.

WP – A heavy-duty meter with flange connections for bulk flow applications featuring magnetic drive, a dry dial for clear reading and a removable measuring mechanism that can be maintained without removing the meter body. The body is made from cast iron with epoxy coating.

Maji Milele Maji Milele is a distributor of a wide variety of high-quality prepaid water meters. The prepaid water meters are used for communal water points, for domestic connections (also with AMR/AMI) and for purified water ATMs. All prepaid water meters are linked to mobile payment and come with an online monitoring system for tracking daily payments and water consumption. Online monitoring also helps to detect leakages and illegal connections and greatly reduces non-revenue water.

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Maji Milele supply prepaid water meters from 3 different suppliers in the world, each with different features and advantages. The company’s premium supplier for prepaid communal meters is Susteq in the Netherlands, but they also sell similar meters from Iniative (India) and prepaid meters for individual connections from Laison (China).

Prepaid communal water meters come with 1 tap, 2 taps or 3 taps. Pepaid communal water meters can be used for hand pumps, water kiosks and stand pipes. The meter has many functionalities, like for example it works with flat tariffs as well as with variable tariffs, a maximum consumption per user can be defined. This is an alternative for water rationing in times of water scarcity. The meter moreover sends SMS messages to the water supplier in case of technical problems.

Prepaid meters for individual connections (0.5-10 inch) work just like prepaid electricity meters. Users top up by mobile money; they get a 20-digits code on their phone, which can then be inputted to the meter. When the user is almost out of water, 2 alerts are sent to the phone, by not topping up in time, the valve automatically closes.

For water service providers this means; no need for water meter reading, no need for sending bills and no need to disconnect defaulters. The system works automatically to disconnect and to reconnect. Payments are made through mobile money – Mpesa.

Rift Valley Machinery Services Ltd Established in 1987, Rift Valley Machinery Services (RVMS) for the last 30 Years has built a reputation on after sales service and is re-known for retail and distribution of high-quality machinery into East Africa.

The company stocks high quality Baylan water meters from Turkey. The meters come in two variants; post-paid and pre-paid and in regular sizes that are suitable for the African region. Rift Valley Machinery Services is the appointed dealer of Baylan water meters in Kenya.

Danco Danco have partnered with a high-quality water meter manufacturer – Diehl Metering, Germany. Diehl metering have every solution from mechanical meters, (volumetric, single jet, multi jet, woltman type), ultrasonic and electromagnetic meters.

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All Diehl meters are Automated Meter Reading (AMR) Ready – giving the entire solution for automated reading, from receiving the radio signal from the pulse emitter to providing the software to read and analyse the readings. This solution will directly reduce commercial losses and improve water supplier’s non-revenue water.

Top pipe TOP PIPE is Africa’s leading manufacturer and supplier of HDPE piping systems and solutions. TOP PIPE systems are used in a broad range of applications such as plumbing, water supply, sewerage and wastewater, storm water and drainage, mining, irrigation and gas.

The TOP PIPE brand is founded on an image of quality and credibility. Recognized as the leading plastic pipe manufacturer, TOP PIPE continues to innovate new products for the building and construction industry.

TOP PIPE facilities have direct access to world-leading technologies which are constantly innovating to focus on the sustainable design and life-cycle approach for each and every product they manufacture.

TOP PIPE supplies B METERS, an Italian company that has been designing, producing and distributing instruments and solutions for measuring the consumption of water and energy used for heating and cooling, for over 25 years.

The yearly production currently exceeds 2,000,000 units putting B METERS in a leading position both at national and European level.

B METERS srl operates both nationally and internationally supplying the water companies, the industry and the private market.

The product range includes turbine (velocity) type single and multi-jet water meters with mechanical or magnetic transmission, Woltmann meters, irrigation meters, flow meters, thermal energy meters and heat cost allocators with direct reading or complete with integrated modules for the remote transmission of the consumption data.

[…] READ: Top 5 water meter companies in Kenya […]