Doha - All mechanical water meters will soon be replaced with the electronic ones to ensure accuracy, Kahramaa (Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation) said in a statement yesterday.
Work on replacing the devices is on in phases since 2003 and a total of 67,500 electronic meters have already been installed all over the country till date. About 31,500 of these devices have been installed for new connections.
Over the next two years, all the remaining connections will have the new reading devices. "The electronic meters are one of the best available in any part of the world."
Engineer Ahmed Al Mohannadi, manager, customer services department, said in the statement: "The choice of the new meters is based on a technical feasibility study which was conducted to ensure their efficiency and accuracy."
The idea of replacing the old meters with the new ones basically arose due to consumer complaints about inaccuracies and faults, Abdul Monem Darwish, manager, field services department, said.
By the end of July this year, 17,500 old meters in localities such as Madinat Khalifa (north and south) and Al Asiri will be replaced. A contract to install another 42,500 electronic meters is at the awarding stage.
Kahramaa has signed a series of agreements with different contractors to install the new meters in phases all over the country at a cost that collectively runs into millions of riyals.
The corporation has also signed deals to ensure that water network is extended to cover areas from where new applications for connections are pouring in. The extended pipeline network will soon cover areas such as Al Rayan, Beni Hajer, Kueib and New Salata, among others.
The water network department has developed new type of materials to replace the existing copper pipes with polyethylene pipes.
© The Peninsula 2007
