In 11 regions of Kazakhstan, the principles of water tariffing for individuals have been revised, and "social consumption norms" have been introduced, reports a correspondent from the Kapital.kz business information center, citing the press service of the Committee for Regulation of Natural Monopolies.
When consumption exceeds the norm by 3 cubic meters, the fee for excess consumption increases by 20%. If consumption exceeds 5 cubic meters, the tariff rises by 50%, and for exceeding 10 cubic meters or in the absence of metering devices, the water fee doubles.
The new tariffing algorithm operates on the principle of "the more you consume, the more you pay," meaning that for consumers who waste water, tariffs will be higher.
"As a result of implementing "social consumption norms" in six regions of Kazakhstan — Akmolinsk, Aktobe, Turkestan regions, Ulytau region, as well as in Almaty and Shymkent — an average of 1.65 million cubic meters of water has been saved monthly. Before the new norms were introduced, the average consumption in these regions was about 21.1 million cubic meters, which decreased to 19.5 million cubic meters after the norms were implemented. The differentiated tariff encourages the establishment of a culture of savings and rational water use in the country. The results obtained in the six regions of Kazakhstan confirm the effectiveness of this approach," explained the KREM.
Since December 1 of last year, "social consumption norms" have also been introduced in the Zhambyl region. In the new year, plans are in place to continue the implementation of this measure in Mangistau, East Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan, and North Kazakhstan regions.
The funds generated from increased tariffs for non-economical consumers will be directed towards the modernization and reconstruction of water supply and drainage infrastructure.