Bengaluru residents will have to spend more on water bills starting today as the Water Supply and Sewerage Board has revised water tariffs to address its mounting operational expenses.
The official notification for the revised rates will be issued today, with changes reflected in bills from May onward. Despite a monthly expenditure of ₹200 crore, the Board currently collects only ₹120 crore, creating a shortfall of ₹80 crore each month. To reduce this deficit and ensure continued service improvements, a "rational and modest" increase in tariffs has been proposed.
"In the last 10 years, our electricity costs have gone up by 107% and maintenance costs by 122.5%," the chairman said.
Proposed Water Tariff Hike Breakdown
Domestic Category:
Up to 8,000 litres: ₹0.15 per litre increase
8,001 – 25,000 litres: ₹0.30 per litre increase
25,001 – 50,000 litres: ₹0.80 per litre increase
Above 50,000 litres: ₹1 per litre increase
High-Rise Domestic Buildings:
Up to 2 lakh litres: ₹0.30 per litre increase
2–5 lakh litres: ₹0.60 per litre increase
Above 5 lakh litres: ₹1 per litre increase
Non-Domestic/Bulk Usage:
Flat hike: ₹0.90 per litre
Up to 10,000 litres: ₹1 increase per litre
10,001 – 25,000 litres: ₹1.30 per litre
25,001 – 50,000 litres: ₹1.50 per litre
50,001 – 75,000 litres: ₹1.90 per litre
75,001 – 1 lakh litres: ₹1.10 per litre
Above 1 lakh litres: ₹1.20 per litre
In line with recommendations from the Karnataka State Administrative Reforms Commission, the Water Supply and Sewerage Board will also implement an annual 3% hike in tariffs starting April 1 each year to ensure sustainable revenue generation going forward.