Reviewing smart water metering rollout in Botswana

Case study into a transformative step for water security

A Botswana Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) initiative, which forms part of a multi-phase national smart water meter rollout, demonstrates how advanced communication technologies, hybrid prepayment solutions, and data-driven operational models can reshape water security and utility management.

In Botswana, WUC has embarked upon one of the most ambitious and technologically advanced smart water metering projects in Southern Africa, which is proving to be a notable case study. Three experts unpacked the project during a webinar on how smart metering reshapes water security.

programme involved the procurement and installation of 60,000 ultrasonic water meters integrated with an innovative prepayment system and supported by an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Of these, AllGreen Holdings was allocated 12,000 units for deployment.

As Lone Mokgosi, Managing Director of AllGreen, observed: “This project is arguably one of the most transformative water projects in the region ever to disrupt the way that we interact with water, both as a commodity and a natural resource.”

The turnkey nature of the contract encompassed supply, installation, head-end systems, vending systems, and operational infrastructure.

From the project kickoff in July 2024 to system commissioning in March 2025, key milestones included procurement, AMI deployment, control centre establishment, meter and Data Concentrator Unit (DCU) installation, vending platform integration, and technical training for local staff.

The project also prioritised knowledge transfer to ensure operational independence, job creation, and regional economic upliftment. Furthermore, the project established a local assembly and spare parts stockholding to reduce lead times and insulate the project from global supply chain disruptions.

 

 

Communication technology: Choosing the right fit

The ability of smart meters to provide actionable insights rests upon the robustness of their communication backbone. Desigan Govender, Product Portfolio Manager at Conlog, explained that choosing the right communication technology is a common question, noting that there is a whole range of communication technologies available, and it is always difficult to determine what is the most suitable.

application’s real-time needs were the deciding factor when choosing what communication technology to use. “WUC weren’t just looking for meter reading at the end of the month to generate a bill, they wanted real-time information to inform at any given time ‘what is the status’ of their network in order to effectively manage the water,” he said.

This requirement narrowed the technological options, leading to the selection of Wireless M-Bus using the Open Metering Standard (OMS). Conlog’s Product Manager, Theuns Tait, noted the rationale: “While other technologies like Sigfox and LoRaWAN are used for general Internet of Things (IoT) applications, OMS is specifically designed for utilities such as electricity, water, and gas.”

He added that this choice allowed hourly data transmissions from the field to the Meter Data Management System (MDMS), ensuring timely leak detection, consumption monitoring, and operational oversight.

“This tailored approach ensures the system is highly efficient and reliable for its intended purpose. The meters transmit encrypted data via gateways to a secure server, enabling continuous data flow and ensuring no single point of failure through overlapping gateway coverage,” said Tait.

The hybrid smart prepayment model and its impact on customer behaviour

At the core of the Botswana project lies a hybrid metering model combining Diehl’s ultrasonic measurement technology, Conlog’s prepayment functionality, and AMI. During the webinar, Mokgosi highlighted several advantages of the transition from mechanical to ultrasonic meters:

• improved billing accuracy,
• long-term stability in low-flow measurements, and
• reduced operational costs by eliminating manual meter readings in remote areas.

Prepayment offers immediate revenue collection and enables recovery of arrears through incremental deductions. As Govender noted: “The prepaid model has advantages for both the utility and the consumer… they know upfront how much water they’ve got, they know how precious it is.”

This awareness encourages conservation, while providing the utility with predictable cash flow and reduced exposure to bad debt.

However, it was found that customer reaction to the switch from post-paid to prepayment was mixed. Some initial resistance stemmed from improved accuracy in detecting low-flow leaks, which had previously gone unbilled.

Mokgosi explained: “This created an illusion that water suddenly became more expensive… but on the positive side, customers were now empowered with the ability to purchase water credits from the comfort of their own homes through mobile phones and online platforms.”

By enabling customers to monitor their usage in real time, the model removes the “shock factor” of unexpected monthly bills and fosters more responsible consumption habits.

Meter data as the new utility asset

Smart meter longevity and integrity are central to sustaining system performance. Tait detailed this layered approach, stating there is a combination of on-device intelligence, remote communication and back-end analytics. “The smart meter will detect reverse flow, monitor empty pipes, report battery life, detect valve faults, and register tampering such as battery removal; all communicated hourly.”

This capability not only safeguards assets but also accelerates field response to incidents, reducing water losses and infrastructure damage. These capabilities were realised by Conlog’s strategic partnership with Diehl Metering, a global leader in ultrasonic metering technology, meter connectivity and smart platforms.

The Botswana project demonstrates that data—when properly collected, transmitted, and analysed—is as valuable as the physical water network itself. The meters transmit encrypted data to gateways, which feed secure servers and then to the operational control centre. Here, operators monitor leaks, losses, vending activity, and anomalies.

Mokgosi underscored the strategic value: “Data was converted into information that the utility can then analyse to determine consumption patterns and make water demand forecasts… miss-information and guestimations are now a thing of the past.”

Tait added that this dataset supports not only leak detection and water balancing but also comparative analysis between usage data and vending records to identify bypasses or faults.

Managing data flow and coverage

Govender emphasised the importance of overlapping gateway coverage to maintain continuous data flow even during power outages. This redundancy ensures operational resilience and uninterrupted monitoring. Early results from the WUC deployed meters revealed that 4% of meters were reporting leaks, others identified “air in the pipes” (indicative of upstream infrastructure issues), and some showed no usage, suggesting bypass or alternative supply.

By correlating these findings with reported non-revenue water losses, WUC was able to pinpoint that much of the loss occurred upstream, between pumping stations and homes. This paramount discovery will shape future maintenance priorities.

Having ultrasonic technology at the core of the meters offers several advantages. Unlike mechanical meters, which lose accuracy over time due to wear and tear, ultrasonic meters are known for their high accuracy and stability, especially in measuring low flow rates. This is particularly important for detecting leaks. Furthermore, the ultrasonic meters are immune to sediment, a common issue with old infrastructure, and can differentiate between water and air in the pipes, a feature mechanical meters lack. 

Cover photo: By ESI Africa