Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is proposing a sharp increase in service charges, with the new rates being presented to the government for approval following a Board of Directors meeting. 

The proposed hike ranges from two-fold to fifty-fold for services related to drinking water and sewerage lines. Final decisions will be made after review by the Water Resources Department and the Finance Department. 

Last year, KWA revised the water tariff. The present service rates, which are over 30 years old, include charges as low as Rs 10 and Rs 5 for services like meter changes and reclassification of connections. 

Many of these services require site inspections and reports from officials, including the presence of an overseer and assistant engineer, leading to higher operational costs. Currently, the authority spends more than twice the amount it receives in service fees, including travel expenses.

The proposed changes include increasing the fee for meter readings from Rs 2 to Rs 10. Meter readings taken every two months will now cost Rs 20, with the estimated cost to the authority being up to Rs 15 per reading. Additionally, due to digitisation, the application fee of Rs. 15 has been waived. Monthly meter rent is set to increase from Rs 10 to Rs 50 for regular meters and Rs 250 for smart meters. Charges for extending pipelines to provide connections are proposed to rise from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per 30 meters.

For sewerage connections, the suggested fee is between Rs 1,000 and Rs 4,000. The fee for disconnection and restoration of sewerage connections is proposed to increase from the current Rs 200 and Rs 100 to Rs 1,000. 

KWA also recommends raising the fee for plumbing licenses and renewals from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000.