Malindi, Magarini and Kilifi North residents will soon pay more for water after the Malindi Water and Sewerage Company announced it would raise rates.
The company, which serves three subcounties in Kilifi county, said the increases are needed to improve services, cover high production costs and repay loans.
It said it must stabilise water supply to sustain services.
Officials said the tariffs were last reviewed in 2012.
Currently domestic and residential customers using zero to six cubic metres pay Sh55 per month. They will have to pay an extra Sh20.
Those using 21 to 50 cubic metres will pay Sh15 more, up from Sh75.
Those using 51 to 100 cubic meters will still pay Sh120 per cubic metre.
However, state agencies, institutions and commercial and industrial organisations will pay more.
Those using up to 50 cubic metres will pay Sh120 per cubic metre.
The other rates from 51 to 100 cubic metres and from 101 to 300 cubic metres will pay an extra Sh20 and Sh15, respectively.
Currently, the institutions pay Sh120 per cubic metre if they use 51 to 100 cubic metres and Sh165 per cubic metre if they use between 101 and 300 cubic metres.
However, with the new tariffs, they will pay Sh140 and Sh180 per cubic metre.
Public boarding schools will dig deeper into their pockets as those using between zero and 600 cubic metres will have to pay Sh120 per cubic metre.
Gerald Mwambire, the acting Mawasco MD, on Friday appealed to residents to support the company to improve services.
He said in Magarini, the production costs per month was Sh2 million, while the revenue collected from rates was Sh400,000.
“The supply of water has to be stable. We intend to improve more on infrastructure. Magarini is highly affected,’’ Mwambire said.
He added that they have been losing money forthree years.
The firm has expanded services, especially to the under-served areas, including Mamburui, Gongoni, Takaye and Matsangoni.
Mwambire said they were repaying more than Sh500 million in loans to WaSSIP 1 & WaSSIP –AF (Goods & Works).
“Insofar as water is a right to everyone, it’s costly to produce.”
Mawasco was launched in 2006 and had 4,000 clients. It now serves 22,000 consumers.
