Design and fabrication of a prepaid water metering system.
Abstract
Water is an inorganic chemical substance composed of hydrogen and oxygen known as H2O. It
exists in all the three states of matter that is liquid, solid and gaseous states. Pure water is tasteless,
odourless, colourless in small quantities and transparent. Water occurs naturally in plenty and is
considered a gift from God. The water on the surface of earth is found mainly in its oceans
(97.25%) and polar ice caps and glaciers (2.05%) with the balance in fresh water lakes, rivers, and
ground water.
In the human body; in adult men, about 60% and in adult women, about 55% of their bodies are
water used to regulate body temperature, moisten tissues, protects body organs and tissues, carries
nutrients and oxygen to cells among others. Domestic uses of water include; drinking, cooking,
bathing, washing, watering the gardens among others while in industries, it is used in smelting
facilities, petroleum refineries and industries producing chemical products, food, and paper
products to fabricate, process, wash, dilute, cool, transport a product among others.
In Uganda, National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), a national utility is in charge of
supplying water to the citizens in urban centres. NWSC is a government parastatal whose mandate
is to provide water and sewerage services in urban towns entrusted to it by the government on a
commercial and financially viable basis. It was established in 1972 under decree No:34 following
recommendation by World Health Organization.
With the above mentioned uses among others, it indicates that water is a very important utility
required on a daily basis thus NWSC shoulders the responsibility of supplying water in urban
centres effectively and efficiently in contribution to economic and social development of the
country. NWSC supplies the water through pipes with each private customer connected to the
supply alongside a mechanical measuring meter and public customers connected to prepaid stand
pipes.