Water tariffs are unlikely to be revised during the next six months of the year, the Minister of Housing, Construction and Water Supply, Susil Ranasinghe.
Minister Ranasinghe said that the National Water Supply and Drainage Board had not incurred significant additional costs for water purification during the first half of the year, reducing the need for a tariff revision.
He added that there is currently no requirement to increase water charges, as operational costs have remained relatively stable.
Water tariffs are typically reviewed every six months. However, no revision was implemented during the first half of this year.
When asked whether a revision would be introduced for the period from July 1 to December 31, the Minister told Ada Derana that the overall cost impact had been minimal.
He said the main factor affecting costs was an 18% increase in electricity tariffs, while fuel price increases had little impact on water treatment operations.
He further noted that electricity accounts for around 12% of the total cost structure, resulting in an estimated increase of about Rs. 2.50 per unit of water.
“Therefore, the cost impact over the past six months has been minimal. As a result, it is likely that there will be no revision of water tariffs in the next six months as well,” the Minister said.
