Affordable access to water brings an era of hope to the people of Niger

Money down the drain

Over a billion people living in cities around the world lack access to running water. In many developing countries, the urban poor struggle on a daily basis to afford clean water due to their irregular incomes. Not being able to pay the monthly bills and having their water supply cut off is a constant threat.

Accept no substitute

There are alternatives to utility piped water, such as public water points, delivery services and chlorine pills, but they can be much more expensive and often pose health risks. A new approach was needed.

Fresh thinking

Fortunately mobile operator Orange and start up company CityTaps had one. They partnered up with SEEN (a National Water Utility) to create a pre-paid smart water solution that provides safe, convenient, reliable and affordable water access to low-income homes in Niger for the first time.

Go with the flow

The system is very simple. With just a mobile phone and an Orange SIM card, the customer can recharge their account at one of the many points of sale throughout the country. They are then kept constantly informed in real time about the status of their water meter. This really empowers the customer, giving them control over what they consume and a means to budget their water usage.

Join #CaseForChange in Niger and meet a handful of the 13,000 CityTaps customers whose lives have already dramatically changed for the better thanks to the project.