Cape Town's R1.1bn upgrade: Smart water meters to enhance billing accuracy and reduce leaks
City of Cape Town contractors will begin installing smart water meters across multiple suburbs from mid-April, as part of a R1.1 billion rollout aimed at improving billing accuracy, detecting leaks early and helping residents track daily water use.
Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
Cape Town residents in dozens of suburbs will begin seeing their water meters replaced with smart technology from mid-April, as the City launches a major upgrade aimed at improving billing accuracy, detecting leaks early and helping households track usage.
The City of Cape Town confirmed that its Advanced Metering Infrastructure programme will kick off in the third week of April, following the appointment of a contractor to begin installations.
The first phase of the project, valued at about R1.1 billion, will see around 83 000 mechanical meters replaced with smart meters over three years, from April 2026 to February 2029. In total, more than 680 000 meters across the city are expected to be upgraded over the next decade, with the broader rollout planned to continue until 2040.
Mayoral committee member for water and sanitation Zahid Badroodien said the programme is designed to modernise the City’s water management systems and improve service delivery.
He said the smart meters will allow for automated readings, reduce human error and provide residents with detailed, real-time data on their water consumption.
The rollout comes against the backdrop of a broader national water crisis, with South Africa losing significant volumes of treated water through leaks, theft and ageing infrastructure. At a local level, the City has also warned of rising consumption and pressure on dam levels, prompting renewed calls for residents to reduce usage and fix leaks.
Experts and previous City initiatives have pointed to smart technology as a key tool in improving efficiency, detecting leaks early and restoring trust in municipal billing systems. The water meter programme follows Cape Town’s recent rollout of smart electricity meters, which similarly aim to improve accuracy and give users better visibility over their consumption.
For residents, the upgrades mean manual meter readings will be phased out, with usage data instead transmitted automatically. Customers will also receive alerts for leaks or unusual consumption via the City’s digital platforms, enabling quicker responses and possible cost savings.
The City said the system is designed to improve transparency and reduce billing disputes, particularly for landlords and tenants, as actual consumption data will be available.
The meters will include anti-tampering features such as lockable protective covers and tilt detection, with alerts triggered if interference is detected. Data will be transmitted via eSIM technology, removing the need for physical SIM cards.
Each unit is expected to have a lifespan of about 15 years and is made from materials with no scrap value, aimed at reducing theft.
Residents should expect temporary water disruptions during installation, as supply may be briefly turned off while old meters are removed and new ones installed. The City said there will be no cost to households for the replacement process.
Contractors will require access to properties, and residents have been advised to verify the identity of officials through identification cards, branded vehicles and uniforms. The City’s call centre can also be used to confirm appointments.
Installations in the first three months will focus on a wide range of areas, including parts of Bellville, Brackenfell, Kuils River, Parow, Durbanville and surrounding industrial and residential zones, as well as areas near Cape Town International Airport and Century City.
The City said residents will be notified in advance of installations in their areas through municipal communication channels, including billing inserts, SMS notifications and ward councillor platforms.