Recovering water bill arrears from its consumers continues to prove a challenge for the cash-strapped Kerala Water Authority (KWA).
The latest data available shows that various categories of consumers owe the KWA ₹812.62 crore in unpaid water bills. Figures released by the water resources department indicate that domestic consumers top the list of arrears with ₹334.69 million. The non-domestic category has an arrears of ₹190.63 crore and the local government (public taps) department has an arrears of ₹119.64 crore. Industrial consumers owe KWA ₹4.04 crore, while ₹4.6 crore is owed under the ‘special category’ and ₹159.02 crore under the ‘miscellaneous’ category.
The data as per the demand collection balance data as on January 31, 2026 was submitted to the Kerala Assembly last week. On the bright side, arrears are down from what they were two years ago. As of March 2024, it stood at just over ₹1,540 crore.
As of January 2026, KWA has just over 44.06 million consumers. Inspections by the water company revealed that 15,861 water meters under household connections were non-functional. In a written reply, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine informed the Legislative Assembly that it was difficult for KWA to pay its own electricity bills in full every month.
The water company, which operates water treatment plants and the supply network, has a significant energy consumption. These operations attract a monthly electricity bill of between ₹40 million and ₹42 million. From September 2025, KWA transfers ₹10 crore to an escrow account as part of an agreement with KSEB and the government regarding timely payment of electricity bills.
Published – 01 March 2026 17:10 IST
