New Year, New Water Prices

Water costs are going up next year. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved a 13.5% increase to the Mean Water Rate (MWR) for Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL).

The increase is less than the 20% hike requested by the company. The adjustment will “result in an overall increase of approximately 5.5% on a customer’s monthly bill,” the PUC said in a notice.

The notice states that the current flat rate of $8.72 for consumption up to 1,000 gallons will be replaced with a per-gallon charge. This adjustment is intended to make billing fairer for low-consumption customers, the PUC explained.

The Commission also approved a $130 million capital investment programme for infrastructure upgrades, water production, energy and security improvements, and equipment. An additional $20 million will fund expanded water production and storage in Placencia, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro to meet population growth.

BWSL is also allowed to increase contributions for water main extensions up to $6,000 on the mainland and $10,000 on the islands.

The PUC did not approve increases to other administrative fees. Household water bills will go up, but other fees will stay the same. The Commission made no decision on commercial water use, which is handled by a different authority. “Commercial water extraction is managed by the National Integration Water Resources Authority (NIWRA) which is outside of the scope of the PUC,” it stated.

The changes follow a full review of BWSL’s 2026 Full Tariff Review Proceedings, which included public consultations and detailed assessments of technical and financial information.