ALOR STAR: Kedahans will face a slight increase in their water bills following the recent adjustment in water tariffs by the National Water Services Commission (Span).
Under the new tariffs, households in the state will now pay 75 sen for the initial 20 cubic metres of treated water, establishing a minimum monthly water bill of RM7.50.
In a statement today, Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (Sada) said the implementation of the tariff adjustment for users will start on Feb 1, with billing starting in March.
"Overall, the impact of this new tariff adjustment will not burden users significantly. For instance, for water consumption of 10 cubic meters and below, the imposed fee increase is only RM1.50.
"However, Sada acknowledges the economic challenges faced by some users in Kedah. Hence, Sada continues its targeted water subsidy programme for users classified as severely poor and registered with the eKasih system," it said.
Sada said that the tariff adjustment is essential to ensure service sustainability and is not profit-driven.
It said that the new water tariff was set by Span through the Tariff Setting Mechanism (TSM) study, taking into account operational and capital expenditure.
"A strong and sufficient financial base enables Sada to develop sustainable water infrastructure projects, thereby improving water supply coverage throughout Kedah.
"Additional funds from this tariff adjustment will be reinvested by Sada into planned capital expenditures to ensure continuous supply and services, meeting the growing demand for water supply each year," it said.
Sada assured that it will ensure the tariff adjustment aligns with an improvement in service quality, providing continuous benefits to users.
"For 2024, Sada allocated a total of RM60.91 million involving operational and capital expenditure for development purposes and asset reinforcement.
"The focus includes new infrastructure construction, maintenance of mechanical and electrical assets, and replacement of aging pipeline systems," it said.
Meanwhile, State Public Works, Water Supply and Water Resources, Irrigation and Drainage and Energy committee chairman Mohamad Yusoff Zakaria said the state government will develop plans to enhance water service efficiency through various immediate, intermediate, and long-term measures.
"The state government understands the difficulties, especially in areas that often face water supply disruptions.
"This poses a challenge to operators to increase infrastructure capability and efficiency in managing clean water supply to consumers, and also a challenge to consumers to be more frugal in using water," he added.
Earlier today, Deputy Energy Transition and Public Utilities Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir announced that the new water tariffs would help water concessionaires streamline their services.
Following the hike, domestic users in the peninsular and Labuan are expected to pay an average of 22 sen more for every cubic metre beginning Feb 1.