Water Charges
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad administration has implemented a substantial increase in water charges, ranging from 200% to 300%, effective from January 2024, marking the first adjustment since 2017, on Wednesday.
According to an official from the water supply directorate, the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) presently collects Rs700 million monthly from consumers, covering salaries and maintenance expenses.
For consumers with plot sizes less than 250 yards, the new water charges are set at Rs480 per month, while houses on plot sizes ranging from 251 to 499 yards will pay Rs624 per month. Larger houses on plot sizes from 500 to 999 yards will incur monthly charges of Rs1,500, those on plot sizes from 1,000 to 1,999 yards will pay Rs2,000, and houses on plot sizes of 2,000 yards and above will face charges of Rs3,500 per month.
In model villages, the MCI has established a flat rate of Rs600 per month for water charges, while government house residents will face charges ranging from Rs240 to Rs940 per month.
For houses equipped with water meters, charges are set at Rs480 per 1,000 gallons for water supply up to 5,000 gallons. Beyond this, consumers using water from 5,000 to 20,000 gallons will pay Rs70 per gallon per month.
Commercial establishments in the National Park area and Blue Area will be charged Rs1.5 per square foot, including hotels, motels, and private hospitals. Motor garages with service stations will face Rs10 per square foot charges, while petrol pumps with service stations are set at Rs40,000 per month.
The revised charges also encompass various sectors, with cold storages paying Rs19,200, bakeries Rs1,008, poultry shops and tea stalls Rs864. Industrial area plots using water solely for drinking and toilets will pay Rs8,400, while those utilizing water as raw material will pay Rs24,000 per month.
It’s noteworthy that even with the increased rates, Islamabad’s water rates remain considerably lower, about one-third, compared to the charges levied by the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and other metropolitan corporations in Punjab.
For instance, houses in Rawalpindi’s 10 marla category currently pay over Rs2,000 per month in water bills, significantly higher than the revised charges in Islamabad.
