High Water Bills? Why Some Kenyans Are Paying More

Kenyans facing unexpectedly high water bills have been told that incomplete water abstraction permits and inactive meters are among the main reasons for the charges.

Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa said on Sunday, 20 September, that many users start the process of applying for a water abstraction permit but fail to complete it after installing their infrastructure. In such cases, the Water Resources Authority (WRA) uses the estimated volume declared when the application was submitted to calculate monthly charges. Mugaa said users without active meters may therefore receive higher bills because their actual water consumption cannot be measured.

“When the Water Resources Authority are billing you every month, they charge you based on the approximation you provided during your application, because you don’t have an active meter,” he said.

Users with incomplete permits and no functioning meters can be charged Ksh10 per 1,000 litres. This is higher than the rates applied under the standard permitting system.

Water abstracted for domestic and livestock use is charged at Ksh2 per 1,000 litres, while domestic consumption is charged at Ksh2.50 per 1,000 litres. Mugaa urged water users to obtain the required permits and install and maintain functioning meters. He said accurate measurement was necessary to ensure that users were billed according to the amount of water they actually abstract.

The government is also promoting smart meters that use GSM technology to transmit readings directly from the point of abstraction. Mugaa said the technology would improve monitoring and help reduce disputes over water consumption. For users who still have older volumetric meters, the WRA has introduced a mobile application through which meter readings can be submitted each month.

“We are now advocating for smart water meters. For those with old volumetric meters, there is an application by the agency, whereby you can actually transmit your meter reading every month,” Mugaa said.

The CS also clarified that WRA charges are separate from water bills issued by county-linked water service providers. Water utility bills generally cover the supply of treated water to consumers, while WRA charges apply to water abstracted from sources such as rivers, dams and underground aquifers.

Mugaa said the two systems are often confused by consumers, resulting in misunderstandings about the charges appearing on their bills. The government is seeking wider use of smart meters as part of efforts to improve the monitoring and regulation of water abstraction. The system is intended to provide more accurate records of water use and reduce reliance on estimated consumption.

For users with existing volumetric meters, the WRA's mobile application provides an alternative for submitting readings while the transition to smart metering continues.