GEORGE TOWN, Aug 27 — Some 130,000 consumers in Penang will have to pay about 20 per cent more for their water bill from November onwards after the state utility raised the surcharge to 20 per cent, in a bid to curb wastage of the precious liquid.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (picture) said there was no hike to the water tariff, and explained that the Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) had instead increased the water surcharge from the existing 24 sen to 48 sen per 1,000 litres for usage above 35,000 litres each month.

“We did not increase the water tariff for domestic consumers but we have increased the water surcharge to curb water wastage,” Lim told a press conference today.

The water surcharge only applies to domestic consumers who use more than 35,000 litres of water each month or 70,000 litres every two months.

The state currently has 461,000 domestic consumers and only 28 per cent of them will be affected by the increase in water surcharge.

“This increase is only between 16 per cent and 20 per cent for their total water bill compared to previously,” Lim said.

Penang is said to have the lowest water tariff in Malaysia, at 31 sen per 1,000 litres.

By contrast, the national average stands at 66 sen per 1,000 litres.

The state government introduced the water surcharge in 2010 when consumption spiked, resulting in Penang becoming the most extravagant water user in the country.

The domestic water usage per person each day in Penang is 302 litres compared to the national average of 210 litres.

Lim was refuting accusations by newly appointed Penang federal action council chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman that the state is being “cruel to water consumers” for increasing the water surcharge by 100 per cent.

“We have to increase the water surcharge as our water consumption is too high and we need to cut down water wastage in the state,” Lim said.

He said some non-governmental organisations have criticised the state government for setting the water surcharge at a rate that was too low and even with the increase, the state was also criticised as it was still considered “cheap” and not prohibitive enough to stop water wastage.

With the introduction of the new water surcharge rate, domestic consumers who use 70,000 litres of water in two months will continue to pay the normal water tariff rate of RM21.40 as the water bill is calculated once every two months.

Lim gave an example that consumers who use 100,000 litres of water in two months will pay total water tariff of RM36 and a water surcharge of RM14.40 under the new water surcharge rate, bringing the total bill to RM50.40.

Under the old rate, the water surcharge would be RM7.20 and the total bill would have been RM43.20, which means an increase of about 16.7 per cent with the new water surcharge rates.

The new water surcharge rate will come into force from September 1 and will be reflected in the water bill which consumers will receive in November.