Case Study

Prepaid Water Metering.
Capricorn Beach Estate, Cape Town

A homeowners association approached Water Utility Solutions to take over approximately 500 prepaid water meters and improve the accuracy, affordability and management of water consumption across the estate.

Project Type: Residential Estate Prepaid Water Metering
Location: Cape Town
Meters Installed: 500 Prepaid Water Meters, 50 Meters Replaced
Outcome: Accurate billing, Improved Water Infrastructure.

The Challenge: Uncertain Consumption & Billing Accuracy

Capricorn Beach Estate had a large prepaid water metering environment that had become difficult to manage over time. Some meters were defective, while others had been replaced or incorrectly allocated without the correct records.

This created uncertainty around meter ownership, consumption recovery and billing accuracy. The previous service provider was also charging high vending fees, reducing the value residents received when purchasing water.

What We Implemented: Prepaid Meter Takeover & Migration.

We implemented a full prepaid water meter takeover and migration process, beginning with a door-to-door audit of all prepaid water meters across the estate.

Each meter was verified, matched to the correct consumption point, checked for functionality, and recorded with its latest reading and credit balance. Once the audit was complete, the meters were reprogrammed onto the WUS vending platform and the full metering schedule was updated to correct all allocations.

In total, approximately 500 prepaid water meters were audited, validated and migrated, while approximately 50 defective or non-functional meters were replaced to ensure accurate measurement.

Results: Updated & Accurate Water Metering

The estate now benefits from a fully updated and accurate prepaid water metering environment. The Home Owners Association has a corrected meter allocation schedule, clearer visibility of its water infrastructure, and greater confidence that all water consumption is being accurately recorded and recovered.

Residents also benefit directly from the improved system through lower vending fees, which means they receive more water for every Rand spent. This creates a more transparent, efficient, and resident-friendly prepaid water solution, helping to improve overall satisfaction across the estate.