Consumers owe Kerala Water Authority ₹812 crore in water charge arrears

Recovery of water bill arrears from its consumers continue to prove a problem for the cash-strapped Kerala Water Authority (KWA).

The latest available data show that various categories of consumers owe the KWA ₹812.62 crore in unpaid water bills. Data made public by the Water Resources department indicate that domestic consumers top the arrear list with ₹334.69 crore. The non-domestic category has run up arrears to the tune of ₹190.63 crore and the Local Self Government department (public taps), ₹119.64 crore. Industrial consumers owe the KWA ₹4.04 crore while ₹4.6 crore is owed under the ‘special category’ and ₹159.02 crore under ‘miscellaneous.’

The data, as per the demand collection balance figures for January 31, 2026, was placed before the Kerala Assembly last week. On the bright side, the arrears have dipped from what it was two years ago. In 2024 March, it stood at a little over ₹1,540 crore.

The KWA has a little over 44.06 lakh consumers, as per the figures for January 2026. Inspections by the water utility had revealed that 15,861 water meters under domestic connections were defunct. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine, in a written reply, had informed the Legislative Assembly that the KWA was finding it difficult to pay its own electricity bills in full every month.

The water utility, which operates water purification plants and a supply network, has a significant energy demand. These operations attract a monthly electricity bill of between ₹40 crore and ₹42 crore. Since September 2025, the KWA has been remitting ₹10 crore into an escrow account as part of an understanding with the KSEB and the government with respect to timely payment of electricity bills.