By Kavita Mistry 
Last Updated:
An official order notifying the new rates will be issued on Thursday, April 10, BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said.
The revised tariff will reflect in bills issued from May onwards. (Representative image)
Bengaluru water price hike: After a series of hikes in consumer products like milk, healthcare, energy, transport, stamp duty, and excise, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the body that regulates drinking and sanitation water in the city, has now announced to revise water tariffs to offset its ever growing expenditure.
An official order notifying the new rates will be issued on Thursday, April 10, BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said.
“Over the past 10 years, electricity costs have risen by 107 per cent, while maintenance expenses have increased by 122.5 per cent,” Manohar said.
According to him, despite a monthly expenditure of Rs 200 crore, the Board currently collects only Rs 120 crore, resulting in a monthly deficit of Rs 80 crore. “To bridge this financial gap and improve service delivery, a rational and modest tariff revision has been proposed,” said Manohar.
The prices are set to increase by up to Rs 0.01 (1 paisa) per litre and the revised tariff will reflect in bills issued from May onwards.
The BWSSB is expected to raise water rates by 3 percent annually, according to the department.
According to the revised rates, there are four slabs for domestic connections:
– In the first slab (0–8,000 litres), the water tariff before the hike was Rs 7. This has been increased by 0.15 paise per litre.
– The second slab (8,001–25,000 litres), where the tariff was Rs 11, has now been hiked by 0.30 paise per litre.
– The third slab (25,001–50,000 litres), where the tariff was Rs 26, has now been increased by 0.80 paise per litre.
– The fourth slab (more than 50,000 litres), where the rate was Rs 45, will now see a hike of 1 paisa per litre.
While speaking to CNN-News 18, Manohar said that the last tariff revision took place in 2014.
“The BWSSB has been facing losses as water prices had not been revised since 2014, and the financial situation was becoming a bit worrisome. Electricity charges alone account for 20% of our production cost. With power tariffs increasing, we have few options but to consider a tariff revision,” he said.
For high-rise buildings, where water was previously charged at a flat rate of Rs 22 per kilolitre (KL), the revised pricing will also include slab-based hikes.
For high-rise domestic buildings, till 2,00,000 litres, an increase of 0.30 paise per litre is proposed. While 2,00,001 to 5,00,000 litres, will see an increase of 0.60 paise per litre and above 5,00,001 litres, an increase of 1 paisa per litre.
For non-domestic usage, a flat hike of 0.90 paise per litre is proposed for bulk usage. While up to 10,000 litres will cost 1 paisa litre more and from 10,001 to 25,000 litres, 1.30 paise per litre. Between 25,001 and 50,000 litres, an increase of 1.50 paise per litre is proposed. For 50,001 to 75,000 litres, there will be an increase of 1.90 paise per litre.
But for 75,001 to 1,00,000 litres, the hike is only 1.10 paise per litre and above 1,00,000 litres, it is 1.20 paise per litre, said Manohar.
The water board chairman emphasised the need to raise water tariffs, but noted that rates cannot be increased beyond a reasonable point. He also mentioned that the board is working to implement the supply of clean, BIS-certified drinking water for all residents of Bengaluru.
“The balance between the citizen’s needs and the BWSSB’s sustainability will be ensured,” he told News18.
Amid rising temperatures and growing concerns over water scarcity in Bengaluru, the BWSSB has taken steps to ensure the city does not experience a repeat of last summer’s crisis, when several areas faced severe water shortages for weeks.
Stricter regulations were implemented, including penalties for misuse of potable water for activities like washing vehicles, cleaning roads, or watering gardens. A fine of ₹5,000 was imposed for violations, with over 112 cases booked and fines collected.
Last year, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) and the BWSSB to facilitate the sale of treated water for purposes like gardening and toilet flushing, after buildings exhausted their primary water resources.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, is expected to launch a new project on April 15 aimed at making Cauvery water connections more accessible to apartment associations and homeowners in the city.
The scheme, introduced by the BWSSB, will allow those unable to pay the full connection fee upfront to opt for monthly instalments (EMIs) over a 12-month period.
“Twenty percent of the demand notice amount—including pro-rata charges, meter charges, inspection charges, and line costs, if applicable—must be paid as the first instalment. The remaining 80 percent can be paid over the next 12 months,” the BWSSB chairman explained.