Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
KWEKWE City Council is proposing water tariff increases of up to 39 percent in 2027, citing rising treatment costs that are widening the gap between the cost of supplying water and revenue collected from consumers.
The proposed increases could see high-density households paying US$1,15 per cubic metre, up from US$0,85, while low-density residents would pay US$1,25, compared with the current US$0,90.
The local authority has warned that if tariffs are not adjusted to reflect production costs, it may be forced to introduce water rationing across all suburbs to conserve treatment chemicals.
The proposals were presented by the council’s finance director, Mrs Rejoice Maweni-Dandira, during the local authority’s 2027 budget consultations with ward development committees and ratepayers’ associations at the Civic Centre.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira said the cost of producing a cubic metre of water had risen from US$1,36 last year to US$1,71 this year, largely due to increasing prices of imported treatment chemicals and fuel.
She said the existing tariffs were no longer sufficient to cover production and supply costs, putting pressure on the council’s ability to sustain water services.
“We have seen an increase in water treatment chemicals. I have three suppliers who talked about wars, saying aluminium sulphate prices increased three times this year and there is a possibility that the prices will be increased during the rainy season as chemicals are imported,” said Mrs Maweni-Dandira.
She said the council’s tariff model was designed to ensure that revenue from consumers covered the
cost of producing and delivering water.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira warned that failure to address the funding shortfall could force the local authority to reduce production to conserve treatment chemicals.
“ We will be forced to switch off the plant on some days to save chemicals, which may have been projected to last two weeks if we are to reduce the tariff,” she said.
The proposed adjustment amounts to about 35 percent for high-density households and nearly 39 percent for low-density residents.
Council is also proposing to increase water tariffs for commerce and industry from US$1,60 to US$1,95 per cubic metre, although consultations with the business sector are still to be held.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira said the proposed business tariff was intended to narrow the gap between the cost of water production and the charges currently paid by consumers.
She said residential tariffs had previously been kept below production costs, with council seeking to recover part of the shortfall from commerce and industry.
However, Mrs Maweni-Dandira said the final tariff structure would depend partly on consultations with businesses and their capacity to absorb the proposed increases.
“If businesses were unable to shoulder the proposed increases, council might have to reconsider how the financial burden was distributed among consumers,” she said.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira attributed the rising cost of municipal supplies partly to international conflicts that had pushed up prices of imported products, adding to the financial pressures facing local authorities.
Meanwhile, council is proposing to maintain monthly sewer charges at US$4 for high-density households and US$5 for low-density residents.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira said maintaining the current charges was intended to cushion residents against additional increases while ensuring that sewer pump stations remained operational and
treatment plants received necessary maintenance.
She said council could not compromise the safety of workers at sewer pump stations because of the
health hazards associated with their working environment.
The local authority is also proposing a US$1 increase in monthly refuse collection charges for both residential categories.
Under the proposed tariffs, high-density households would pay US$6 per month, up from US$5, while low-density residents would pay US$7, compared to the current US$6.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira said the proposed increases reflected rising fuel prices, the cost of protective clothing for refuse collection workers, chemicals and expenses associated with maintaining the dumpsite.
“Fuel remained the biggest cost driver in the provision of refuse collection services,” she said.
Mrs Maweni-Dandira said council had repaired some equipment and expected the improvements to reduce breakdowns and maintenance costs.
The proposed adjustments form part of Kwekwe City Council’s 2027 budget consultation process, through which the local authority is seeking to balance the affordability of municipal services with the rising cost of providing them.
The tariffs have not yet been finalised, with consultations expected to inform the council’s final budget and determine what residents and businesses will pay for municipal services in 2027.
