Lahore: The Punjab government plans to install 150,900 smart water meters in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad by 2029 as part of a broader effort to improve water management, reduce wastage and address pressure on underground water reserves. The plan was reviewed at a meeting chaired by Punjab Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal.
WASA officials told the meeting that more than 1.5 million water meters are required across Punjab. The proposed smart meters will record water consumption automatically, reducing the need for manual meter readings and limiting staff intervention in the process. Officials say this should improve transparency in monitoring and billing.
Groundwater recharge was also reviewed. Work is underway on 70 recharge wells, with 20 already operational. The programme includes 40 wells in Lahore, 25 in Multan and five in Faisalabad, while authorities have reported an annual water-conservation target of 11.4 million gallons through these recharge projects.
The Punjab government is also seeking to combine smart metering, groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting into a broader water-management strategy. An existing Punjab PPP project separately envisages large-scale metering in Lahore to reduce water losses, illegal connections and unnecessary groundwater extraction.
