WATER users in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will face higher water bills beginning 1 September, following a government-approved tariff adjustment aimed at sustaining long-term water supply and service quality.
The Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, announced that domestic consumers using between 20 and 35 cubic metres (m³) per month will see an increase of RM0.30 per m³, bringing the new rate to RM1.62 per m³.
“The adjustment is part of a national realignment of water tariffs approved by the Cabinet for Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan,” Amirudin said in a statement on Friday. “It is essential to maintain the quality of treated water services for both the public and industry.”
The revision, led by the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) and implemented by Air Selangor, will affect more than 2.77 million consumer accounts across domestic and commercial categories.
Consumers using more than 35 m³ per month will face a higher rate of RM3.51 per m³, an increase of RM0.88 from the previous rate. However, those using 20 m³ or less per month will see no change, with the existing rate of RM0.65 per m³ and a minimum monthly charge of RM6.50 remaining unchanged.
Other categories will also be affected. Condominium residents, government quarters and estates will be charged RM2.09 per m³ under the new structure. Minimum charges for government quarters will be set at RM20.90 per month, while condominiums will retain the current minimum of RM173.
“For low-cost housing, the tariff increase is the most minimal at just RM0.10, making the new rate RM1.18 per m³,” Amirudin said.
Non-domestic users such as commercial premises will now pay RM3.51 per m³ for usage under 35 m³ and RM3.83 per m³ for higher consumption — an increase of RM0.57.
“Registered houses of worship and charitable institutions will enjoy the lowest rate of RM0.76 per m³, with only a RM0.10 increase, ensuring their operations are not adversely affected,” he added.
A new category for data centres has also been introduced, with a tariff of RM5.31 per m³. “Data centres use millions of litres daily for cooling systems. It is therefore appropriate for SPAN to introduce a special category to balance usage and demand,” said Amirudin.
Shipping industry users will now be charged RM8.01 per m³.
Amirudin emphasised the importance of the tariff adjustment in supporting infrastructure improvements and long-term water sustainability. He noted that Air Selangor had improved its reserve margin from 13.86 per cent in February 2024 to 16.74 per cent by June this year, while the non-revenue water (NRW) rate had dropped from 27.7 to 27.3 per cent.
The adjustment will also support Air Selangor’s efforts to replace over 1,600 kilometres of ageing asbestos pipes by 2030, at a pace of 300 kilometres per year starting this year. Two new water treatment plants are also under construction in Rasau and Labohan Dagang 2, which will collectively add 2,730 million litres per day to the treated water supply, with total costs exceeding RM8 billion.
To ease the impact of the price hike, the state government will continue providing free water worth RM13 per month to over 1.3 million Selangor residents under the Skim Air Darul Ehsan (SADE) programme, which currently supports 337,851 accounts.
Eligibility for SADE will be expanded, with the household income cap raised from RM5,000 to RM6,000 per month.
“The government will also subsidise the increased charges for houses of worship and charitable institutions, with an estimated annual cost of RM100,000. The total allocation for mitigating the tariff impact on vulnerable groups will reach RM52.7 million,” Amirudin said.
Applications for SADE will open on 8 August 2025 via the official Air Selangor website: [https://www.airselangor.com/residential/skim-air-darul-ehsan](https://www.airselangor.com/residential/skim-air-darul-ehsan). - August 2, 2025
