BWSSB has observed that some house owners are converting their apartments or homes into paying guest accommodation. But the monthly water/sanitary bills are paid on the basis of domestic tariff.

To avoid this situation the BWSSB has decided to levy  non-domestic tariffs on all owners, who have given their accommodations for commercial purposes with effect from September 1.

The department has requested such owners to voluntarily disclose details about such conversions before the concerned assistant executive engineer of BWSSB on or before August 31.

 T Venkat Raju, Chief Engineer (Maintenance) of BWSSB said: “It is a common trend where five people live as paying guests in one room and like wise close to twenty people stay as paying guests in three or more rooms. The consumption of water increases due to this. This is a money making tactic. All such houses have to pay water tariff on par with non-domestic tariff with effect from September 1.”

Raju said, his department will carry out drastic inspections from October 1, to locate the houses with paying guest facilities which have not disclosed the water consumption details before August 31and levy fines on them. BWSSB has yet to decide the quantum of the fine