info@susteq.nl
A lot has happened since we shared our 10-year milestones in April! Partners like Maji Milele, Project Maji and WeTu Kenya are sharing the progress of their hard work in Eastern Africa, while information requests from other parts of the world are reaching us daily. Our software developers are making the final adjustments to the new monitoring dashboard. And while we are approaching the end of the year, we gather customer feedback, so we can continue to improve our products and services.
On behalf of the Susteq team: Happy Reading!
Water Utilities benefitting from the Susteq Solution
Susteq is getting more and more water utilties as clients. They have the mandate to provide safe water to all community members, but that is not an easy job. There are challenges of lack of scalable infrastructure, rapid urbanization, climate change and low community income. Several studies show that NRW is typically between 35 and 50% among water utilities in developing countries, while a realistic goal for developing country utilities would be 25%.* It is clear that all these contribute to the water finance gap in reaching SDG6.
From a 2013 dataset it was observed that only 17% of utilities in developing countries managed to cover their Operation & Maintenance costs.* It is evident that this is a major bottleneck for water utitlies that want to provide reliable water for all. There is no magic bullet for fixing these issues, but water utilities are increasingly seeing the benefits of prepaid water meters, both at household level and on communal water points.
It is very important that we are able as a utility to generate revenue where nobody thought we would be able to generate revenue, this is really something that has made us to feel really very good about this system. And more important, that now people are getting water legally and in a cheaper way than they were doing before.
Phillip Gichuki, Managing Director of Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company
Prepaid meters on communal water points give consumers 24/7 access to water. With the Susteq prepaid water ATM rates can be fixed or flexible, depending on the needs of the water utility, but are always transparant for the consumer. The system is independent of grid power, so consumers have access even during power cuts or in areas where grid power is not available. The online monitoring dashboard has customizable early warning systems that help to keep systems functional as much as possible. On top of that, utilities appreciate the integration with their current billing systems.
If you work with a water utility and want more information on the practicalities of prepaid meters in your water infrastructure, initial cost and return on investment: don’t hesitate to email us on info@susteq.nl.
* References available upon request
New monitoring dashboard almost ready for launch
We are working on the final stages of the new online monitoring dashboard. Several clients have already used the new dashboard alongside the old one and have provided valuable feedback.
Overall, it is a big upgrade over the original dashboard. I found it very user friendly and intuitive. I was able to create a new user account for my colleague without any problems. I was also able to change my account password without problem. All of the data for our kiosks that I would expect to see is there.
From what I have seen so far, there is nothing concerning to me. I do not have any recommended changes. Great job on this update!
In line with our beta-testers, we are very happy with the increased speed, user-friendliness and added functionality of the new dashboard:
- Fast-response and user-friendly
- Improved alerts for efficient maintenance
- Easy analysis and exporting of all the things you want to know
- Improved API support
- 2-factor authentication
- Additional management options like managing user accounts and your own project details
The dashboard will be launched before the end of the year for the first customers.
Susteq in Uganda
Our Ugandan distributor Water Forever Uganda signed a contract with the national water utility of Uganda, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) for the delivery of Susteq solutions. They will be implemented in the informal settlements of Kampala and will serve at least 750.000 people with safe water. We are happy to see another water utility choosing the Susteq solution and congratulate all partners on this impactful project.
Susteq in Media
♦ As a throwback to the SIWI WorldWaterWeek from 20-24 August, check out this recording on the webinar organized by the Siemens Stiftung and Whave ‘Social Entrepreneurship to secure rural water supply‘.
♦ Several Susteq partners are sharing exciting updates on their ongoing projects. Check out Maji Milele, Wetu Kenya and Project Maji for example to see the Susteq Solution being implemented in the field.
♦ Are you following Susteq on your socials? We are on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.