The Ogun State Water Corporation (OGSWC) has begun recovering dormant prepaid water meters across the state as part of efforts to safeguard government property and increase revenue.
The exercise commenced on Thursday along Olorunsogo Road in Abeokuta South Local Government Area, targeting meters that were no longer being used for water vending.
Speaking during the operation, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals and Water Resources, Damilola Otubanjo, said the initiative was prompted by the low usage of prepaid meters distributed to residents at no cost by the state government.
Represented by the Head of Project Implementation, Dosumu Adekunle, Otubanjo said the government had supplied more than 8,000 prepaid meters to improve access to potable water, but only a small number of customers were regularly vending water.
She warned that the poor vending culture was affecting the Corporation’s revenue and its capacity to maintain, rehabilitate and expand water infrastructure 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.
Otubanjo added that prolonged non-use could damage the meters, which are fitted with internal batteries that require regular vending to remain operational. She urged beneficiaries to vend at least once every month to keep the meters functional.