Public Utilities Minister defends WASA increases amid criticism over steep new charges

Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath has confirmed that fees for several services provided by the Water and Sewerage Authority’s Infrastructure and Compliance Department have increased, but has rejected claims that the changes were introduced in secrecy.

The increases, which reportedly took effect on July 1, 2026, apply to services associated with plumbing inspections and approvals for water and wastewater infrastructure connected to homes, businesses and developments.

Padarath said the charges had not been reviewed since the 1980s and no longer reflected the actual cost to WASA of providing the services.

He explained that WASA’s management reviewed the rates earlier this year, around the end of May, before making a recommendation that was subsequently approved by the authority’s board.

Padarath stressed that the revised charges are one-time payments associated with the plumbing inspectorate and should not be confused with an increase in recurring water rates paid by customers.

Under the revised fee structure, the charge for a residential unit has increased from $150 to $1,200, while the fee for a multi-family residential unit has also moved from $150 to $1,200.

Commercial units have increased from $200 to $1,500, while the industrial fee has moved from $450 per floor to $1,800.

The fee for a residential swimming pool has risen from $500 to $1,800, while a commercial swimming pool has increased from $1,000 to $2,000.

The increases were highlighted by former Public Utilities Minister and Arouca/Lopinot MP Marvin Gonzales, who accused WASA of increasing some fees by as much as 700 per cent without adequately informing the public and affected stakeholders.

Gonzales claimed customers were encountering the revised charges when attempting to make payments and questioned why there had not been a wider public announcement before the new structure took effect.

He also called for Padarath’s resignation and the removal of WASA’s board and executive management over the handling of the increases.

Padarath, however, rejected the suggestion that the revised fees were implemented secretly.

According to the minister, the new fee structure has appeared on WASA’s relevant forms since July.

He maintained that the review was necessary because WASA had effectively been carrying the additional cost of providing the services while charging rates established decades ago.

The dispute now centres not on whether the fees increased — which Padarath has confirmed — but on the size of the increases, whether customers and stakeholders were adequately informed, and whether the revised charges are justified by the present cost of providing the services.