Every apartment in Bahrain will soon have its own water meter as part of a new conservation drive.

Some buildings still use a single meter, which means it is impossible to keep a proper record of where water is going, Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) conservation directorate chief Rana Salloom said yesterday.

The director said these would be replaced with meters for each apartment to reduce consumption, while customers using excessive amounts of water could get a visit from an inspector.

'We implemented water bylaws last October and every household will have an individual meter,' she said.

The plan is to contact customers whenever there is a significant increase in consumption.

'Our officials visit households if there is an increase in consumption based on meter readings,' Salloom told journalists during a meeting at Manama Centre.

'They are advised on water conservation and avoiding misuse.

'If there is a single meter for a building, it is difficult to know about consumption, leaks in the pipelines and other issues.'

The EWA's bylaws state that every building with more than six flats should have separate meters.

As a result, EWA consultants and engineers are only approving plans submitted by building owners that adhere to that rule.

'We are working with the Municipal and Urban Planning Affairs Ministry for this exercise,' she added.

Salloom said the directorate managed to save 23 megawatts of power and 7.3 million cubic metres of water through awareness programmes and campaigns last year.

To drive home the message of conservation, it will hold several activities across the country to mark Arab Water Day on March 3 and World Water Day on March 15.

'We want to educate the masses about water and electricity conservation,' revealed Salloom.

'We will target schools and universities and hold educational lectures to back our campaign, in co-operation with the print and electronic media.'

An energy and water expo will also be held in June at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre.-TradeArabia News Service