While the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has increased electricity tariffs, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) has stated there is no preparation to increase water tariffs at present.

Electricity charges, fuel prices, and loan interest rates are among the main factors that are taken into account in deciding water tariffs.

With the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) approving an electricity tariff hike by 18% last week, The Daily Morning queried NWSDB Deputy General Manager (Commercial) Piyal Pathmanatha as to whether there is any preparation to revise water tariffs, to which he replied: “There is no such preparation. The latest water tariff revision was made in August 2023. The relevant Cabinet of Ministers decision allows a water tariff revision only once in six months. Therefore, there will be no revision any time soon.”

Water tariffs were last increased in August 2023 under Section 84 of the NWSDB Law, No. 2 of 1974. Water tariffs were increased by the revision based on the number of units used. However, there was no increase in water tariffs for Samurdhi beneficiaries and estate houses. Water tariffs for all other sectors were increased and the domestic water tariff was also increased from Rs. 20 per unit for the first five units to Rs. 60 per unit.

On an earlier occasion, Pathmanatha said that the main factors taken into account in raising water tariffs were electricity charges, fuel prices, and loan interest rates. The reasons for the said factors to be considered, he said, were the need for a large electrical capacity for water pumping and distribution-related activities, the need for fuel for maintenance-related activities, and the fact that the NWSDB had to pay large sums of debt taken from the general treasury.