Bengaluru’s Water Tariff Hike: BWSSB Revises Charges, Set for 32% Rise in May

Bengaluru Water Tariff Hike: Starting May, Bengaluru residents will experience a sharp rise in their water bills, with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) adjusting its tariffs for the first time in 11 years. The new tariff will come into effect from the May billing cycle, with the hike varying based on the volume of water consumed by individual households or apartment complexes.

The hike will be at least 32%, which will have a huge impact on household expenses in the Garden city.

Along with this, the cost of sewerage services has been increased by 25%. For domestic users, the tariff increase will range from 0.15 to 1 paisa per litre, depending on consumption. High-rise buildings will face a rise of 0.3 to 1 paisa per litre, and Industries will see an increase of 0.9 to 1.9 paisa per litre.

For residential users:

• ₹0.15 per liter for consumption up to 8,000 liters (approximately a ₹8.50 increase monthly)
• ₹0.40 per liter for usage between 8,001 and 25,000 liters (an increase of ₹14)
• ₹0.80 per liter for 25,001 to 50,000 liters
• ₹1.00 per liter for usage of 1 lakh liters

For industrial and bulk consumption:

• ₹0.90 per liter for 0 to 10,000 liters
• ₹1.00 per liter for 10,001 to 25,000 liters
• ₹1.30 per liter for 25,001 to 50,000 liters
• ₹1.50 per liter for 50,001 to 75,000 liters
• ₹1.90 per liter for 75,001 to 1,00,000 liters
• ₹1.20 per liter for usage over 1 lakh liters

It's expected that household water bills will rise by ₹400 to ₹500 per month.

The sanitary charges for those using borewells or wells have been revised, with an increase of ₹30 for domestic users and ₹125 for non-domestic connections.

This tariff revision follows a string of price hikes in the city, including increases in power bills, fuel prices, and milk costs, which are putting additional pressure on the budgets of Bengaluru's residents.

BWSSB Chairman Dr. Ramprasat Manohar V mentioned that a formal government order will be issued to confirm the revised rates on Thursday. He pointed out that the revision was necessary due to the board's ongoing financial challenges, stating that while the board spends ₹200 crore monthly on operations, it only collects ₹120 crore in revenue, leading to a deficit of ₹80 crore. So, the BWSSB will implement a yearly 3% hike in water tariff starting April 1 each year.

"This tariff increase is crucial not only to cover operational costs but also to enhance infrastructure and service quality," he added.