There is an increasing awareness in South Africa that water is limited and that careful management should be applied when dealing with this scarce resource. In recent years, we have witnessed recurring protests in townships and informal settlements around South Africa arising from disputes over housing, water, and electricity, which are often accompanied by violence against material infrastructures (ripping out of pipes and meters, spilling sewage and trash outside municipal buildings).This essay will argue for and against the prepaid water meter system with regard to its advantages and disadvantages as viewed by the people verses the government.

What is a prepaid water meter? www.apf.org.za states that there are several types of
There are two purposes for metering; it is a vital tool for the management of water distribution and consumption. The prepaid water system has its advantages and disadvantages but I believe it is beneficial in various but minimal ways, which are listed below: To improve on income collection and access to water, the government implemented the pre-paid water metering system. The government believes that the prepaid meter will now enable customers pay only for what they consume and also help them manage their water accounts better. The system will also enable the various water companies to improve efficiency in billing, thus cutting costs associated with meter reading and data processing.

Water is a human right not a market commodity, but as it becomes an increasingly scarce resource, global corporations, many governments, and international financial institutions such as the World Bank, argues that water should be allocated through market mechanisms. They argue for full cost recovery from users and endorse policies to end public aids, a water lifeline, or other social pricing policies that ensure universal access to clean and affordable water. Prepaid water meters are a result of such negative policies and deny access to those in most need. The job of water services is to deliver the actual water to the consumer. Most water in the world is