Providing Consumers with Water Meters Very Slow

In 2014, 142,000 customers were provided with water meters, and as of January 1 of this year, the level of water supply with water measuring devices was only 57%.

According to the state-owned operator of water supply and water drain Azersu, last year the new water meters with "smart cards" were provided to 134 000 apartments, as well as 8,000 other consumers.

As of 1st January 2015 water meters were at 750,000 subscribers. Since the beginning of the process (2012) new electronic water meters were received by 352,000 subscribers, including 320,000 customers from the population.

Note that other utility providers (Azerenergy, Bakielektriksebeke, Azeriqaz of SOCAR) completed the installation of meters a few years ago and even managed to replace some of them by electronic ones.

From 1 February 2011 the rate of 1 m3 of water supplied to the population is 0.30 AZN for large cities and 0.25 manat for other regions. Water meters are set for them for free. The only exceptions are those living in their own private residences as well as commercial and other consumer groups. The consumers of the group "population" who do not have meters pay for each family member at the rate of consumption of 5 cubic meters of water.

According to the State Statistics Committee, in 2014, there was delivered to customers 263.6 million m3, which is 3.4% more than in the previous year.

In the years 2005-2014 the state investment in the development of water supply and sewerage amounted to 1 419 million manat. In addition, at least $500 million was borrowed in international loans for this purpose. ---08B