The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is planning a substantial increase in service charges related to drinking water and sewerage services. The proposed new rates, which range from a two-fold to fifty-fold increase, have been presented to the government for approval following a recent Board of Directors meeting.
These proposed changes are significant, as the current service rates are over 30 years old and include charges as low as ₹10 and ₹5 for services like meter changes and connection reclassifications. Due to rising operational costs, including site inspections that require the presence of officials like overseers and assistant engineers, the KWA is seeking to adjust these outdated fees. The authority currently spends more than double the amount it receives in service fees, further justifying the need for an increase.
One of the proposed changes includes raising the fee for meter readings from ₹2 to ₹10. Meter readings, which are taken every two months, will now cost ₹20, with the authority estimating the cost per reading to be up to ₹15. The monthly rent for regular meters is set to increase from ₹10 to ₹50, while smart meters will see a rise to ₹250. Additionally, the fee for extending pipelines to provide connections is proposed to increase from ₹500 to ₹1,000 per 30 meters.
For sewerage connections, the KWA suggests a fee increase ranging between ₹1,000 and ₹4,000. The cost for disconnecting and restoring sewerage connections is also expected to rise from the current ₹200 and ₹100 to ₹1,000. Furthermore, the KWA recommends raising the fee for plumbing licenses and renewals from ₹1,500 to ₹2,000.
These proposed changes will be finalized after a review by the Water Resources Department and the Finance Department. The KWA last revised the water tariff rates last year, and this latest proposal aims to address the gap between service fees and operational costs, ensuring the financial sustainability of the authority.
