Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation clarifies 7.05pc tariff hike

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KW&SC) has released details of a 7.05% annual adjustment in water and sewerage tariffs for the current fiscal year, clarifying that the adjustment will have a limited and relatively modest financial impact on domestic and commercial consumers.

According to the Water Corporation, the average monthly bill for domestic and commercial consumers was approximately Rs900 during FY 2025-26, which has increased to around Rs1,000 per month in FY 2026-27. This represents an increase of approximately Rs100 per month for the average consumer.

Chief Commercial Officer of the Water Corporation, Haris Sarfraz, said the recently implemented 7.05% tariff increase is an adjustment linked to the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for FY 2025-26. The adjustment has been implemented under the relevant provisions of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation Act.

He said the tariff adjustment will apply to approximately 1.289 million domestic and commercial consumers in Karachi, as well as around 8,000 bulk and industrial consumers.

Haris Sarfraz emphasized that the financial impact of the adjustment on domestic and commercial consumers remains limited. The increase in the average monthly bill from approximately Rs900 to Rs1,000 represents an additional cost of around Rs100 per month.

For bulk and industrial consumers billed on a volumetric basis, the tariff has been increased from 0.526 paisa per gallon to 0.563 paisa per gallon, in line with the 7.05% CPI-based annual adjustment.

The Chief Commercial Officer said that, like other utility service providers, the Water Corporation is facing continued increases in operational costs. Expenses related to electricity, fuel, repair and maintenance, and the rehabilitation of aging infrastructure have all been rising.

He explained that the current tariff adjustment is necessary to support the recovery of operational costs, strengthen the corporation’s financial position, and ensure its long-term sustainability.

According to Sarfraz, the additional revenue generated through the tariff adjustment will be utilized to improve Karachi’s water and sewerage infrastructure. This will include the rehabilitation of water transmission and distribution networks, repair and maintenance of critical facilities, upgrading of the sewerage system, and improvements in overall service delivery.

Haris Sarfraz further clarified that the tariff revision is not aimed merely at increasing revenue, but at strengthening the Water Corporation’s financial sustainability. This will enable the organization to make continuous investments in its infrastructure, improve service quality, and provide citizens with more reliable, efficient, and sustainable water and sewerage services.