Customer Service Reform for Water and Sanitation Service Providers: The Cape Town Experience

In response to the customer problems and loss of revenue highlighted during the drought, Cape Town’s Water and Sanitation Department undertook a Customer Service Turnaround Project (CS-TAP) that sought to improve its customer relationship management (CRM) systems and operations including metering, billing, collections, debt management, and customer care. This case study illustrates the lessons learned from the City of Cape Town’s post water-crisis reform experiences. The City undertook important measures to improve its water and sanitation department’s CRM systems, with assistance from USAID.