Water tariff hike a double whammy, says Selangor folk

The Star

3 days ago

THE Selangor government should reconsider the new water tariff rates for the poor.
Concerned city dwellers claim that high water usage was sometimes inevitable due to the number of people in a household and other reasons like maintaining a garden.
Kota Bayu Emas Residents Association committee member Brian Raj said a family-of-four would easily use more than 20 cubic metres (m3) a month and be subjected to the steep increase in their water bills next month.
Similarly, the 75-year-old said there were only two people in his household but his water usage was much more than 20m3 because he had a garden to maintain.
'I live in a landed property and I have many ornamental plants in my compound.
'This is my hobby. I have to water the plants twice a day, otherwise it will die,' he said.
While some can afford the increase, he said the poor may be burdened by it and have no other choice.
Former National Water Services Commission commissioner Sarajun Hoda Abdul Hassan from Bandar Parklands, Klang also said the hike would burden the poor.
'Such a steep increase will affect the poor people.
'Especially in areas like Bandar Parkland, where there is a problem of water supply, it was unfair to impose such a hike.
'At least it should be done in phases in tandem with the improvement of the infrastructure,' he said.
Former chairman of Section 14 Residents Association Selva Sugumaran Peru­mal said the water tariff for residential properties should never go up because the increase would be a double whammy for ordinary people.
'The increased cost for other types of properties like commercial and industrial will be passed on to the customers.
'Ordinary folks will need to pay an increased fee for their own homes and absorb the additional cost from businesses,' he said.
Meanwhile, a condominium resident from Pandan Indah, Ampang who only wanted to be known as Toh said she was okay with the fee hike.
'Personally, as long as the management corporation distributes the fee fairly among the residents, it will be okay.
'Some people may take things for granted if the value is low,' she said.
In a statement on Friday (Aug 1), Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced the new rates that would take effect on Sept 1.
Households using between 20m3 and 35m3 of water monthly in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will now have to pay RM1.62/m3, an increase of 30 sen.
Homes using more than 35m3 of water monthly, which is equivalent to 35,000 litres, will now have to pay RM3.51/m3 for each cubic meter above 35m3, which is an increase of RM0.88/m3.
However, homes using up to 20 cubic meters (m3) will not face any increase and would continue paying the existing rate of RM0.65/m3.
The minimum charge for domestic users will also remain at RM6.50.
Those in condominiums, estates and government quarters will see an increase of RM0.41/m3, with consumers having to pay RM2.09 for each cubic metre.
For condominiums, the minimum charge of RM173 per month will remain without any increase, whilst the minimum rate for estates and government quarters will move to RM20.90/month.
Places of worship and welfare institutions will see a minimal increase of RM0.10/m3 to RM0.76/m3.
Businesses, commercial entities and non-domestic buildings will be charged the same rate as domestic households using more than 35/m3, which is RM3.51/m3 with an increase of RM0.57 for each cubic metre.
Non-domestic buildings consuming beyond 35/m3 of water will move up to a rate of RM3.83/m3 for each cubic metre over 35/m3.
The shipping industry will have to pay a new rate of RM8.01/m3.
The state has also included data centres as a new category, given that they require over a million litres per day to cool the systems in these centres.
Data centres will now be charged RM5.31/m3 of water.