Water bills in the country are set to rise after the government raised regulatory charges on water companies by ten times.
This is after the reforms recommended to the government by the World Bank after it approved a Sh80 billion loan to help the country respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the regulations published by Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki, water companies will be required to top up five percent of the charges as conservation levy.
“A person in possession of a valid water use permit or who is required to have a valid permit for water use shall pay in addition to the water use charge… a levy amounting to five percent of the monthly water use charge as a water conservation levy,” stated the new regulations.
User charges have been raised from 50 cents per cubic metre to Sh.5 for domestic use and livestock farming.
The Water Resource Authority’s (WRA), which allocates water use and controls pollution, has been authorised to review the charges annually, tracking after inflation.
The authority will now charge Sh.2 per cubic metre for irrigation while commercial use will attract a charge of Sh.6 for use over 300 cubic metres a day.
Prior to the new charges, the WRA was charging 50 cents per cubic metre for water for homes, livestock, and irrigation, while commercial use attracted a charge of 75 cents for use over 300 cubic metres.
Late payment of water use charges will attract an interest charge of two percent per month.
Water providers will be required to instal automated meters or face a penalty of 10 percent of water used.