The Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) plans to expand its prepaid water system to more households after completing the current pilot phase in December, Minister of State for Infrastructure Armand Zingiro has said. The system, which works much like the prepaid electricity model, allows customers to pay for water in advance, monitor consumption and top up their balances when needed. The planned expansion comes as the utility seeks to improve billing efficiency and tackle persistent water losses, which accounted for an estimated Rwf10.4 billion in unbilled water in the 2024/25 financial year. Addressing the Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday, October 20, Zingiro said the initial pilot at public water points had been successful, paving the way for trials on household connections. “The pilot project at public water points has been successful. We are now testing the system on water connections to people's homes. We expect to complete this phase by December, after which we plan to expand the system to more households,” he said. ALSO READ: Water utility to launch household ‘cash water’ system The minister was responding to concerns raised by MPs over delays in expanding the project and reports of fraudsters exploiting public interest in the system. MP Jean Claude Mazimpaka said the pilot, which has been running for more than a year at about 200 public water points in Gatsibo, Kayonza, Rwamagana and Nyagatare districts, as well as parts of Kigali, had attracted considerable interest from residents. However, he warned that the slow expansion had created opportunities for scammers posing as representatives of the project. “People keep asking us about this project because they have seen its benefits. However, it has not yet been extended beyond the pilot areas, and some people are exploiting that interest to scam citizens,” Mazimpaka said. He asked the ministry to clarify when the system would become more widely available. How the system works WASAC spokesperson Robert Bimenyimana told The New Times that the prepaid system would allow households to buy water in advance, check their balances using mobile phones and top up without visiting WASAC offices. “People will be able to check their remaining water balance on their phones and buy more when it runs low, without having to visit our offices or seek assistance from our staff,” he said. The system is expected to give customers greater control over their spending while reducing the utility's administrative costs associated with billing, late payments and disconnections. Under the current arrangement, customers who fail to settle their bills risk disconnection after 15 days. Prepayment would eliminate the need for conventional billing and payment follow-ups for customers using the new system. Bimenyimana said it could also reduce opportunities for fraud by limiting routine visits to homes for billing and payment-related activities. WASAC has urged residents to verify the identities and staff badges of anyone claiming to represent the utility. During the initial pilot at public water points, customers received prepaid cards that they could load with money and tap to access water without an attendant. Bimenyimana also assured customers that unused prepaid balances would remain available during water supply interruptions and could be used once service resumed. ALSO READ: Govt banks on new projects, cut losses to improve water supply Tackling water losses The expansion is being pursued against a backdrop of persistent water losses that continue to affect WASAC's finances and operational efficiency. According to the Auditor General's report for the financial year ended June 30, 2025, non-revenue water stood at 37.8 per cent, down from 39.5 per cent the previous year. Of the 85.75 million cubic metres of water produced, WASAC billed customers for only 53.33 million cubic metres, equivalent to 62.2 per cent of total production. The remaining 32.42 million cubic metres were valued at approximately Rwf10.4 billion, based on the minimum tariff of Rwf323 per cubic metre. Non-revenue water includes losses caused by leaking pipes, theft, inaccurate metering and other factors that prevent the utility from billing for all the water it produces. The Auditor General recommended that WASAC strengthen measures to reduce these losses. Zingiro told MPs that the government was increasingly turning to technology, including artificial intelligence, to improve water management and address the problem. “As technology advances, we are adopting it. We are also using technologies such as artificial intelligence to address non-revenue water, including in the pilot of the prepaid water system,” he said. Beyond the prepaid initiative, the ministry is working to identify and repair leaks and rehabilitate ageing pipelines to minimise water losses.
