Mauritius Council of Ministers, July 24, 2026. The Central Water Authority (CWA) and the Wastewater Management Authority (WMA) are implementing the island's first tariff revision in twelve years. Residential consumers are unaffected. Commercial operators — hoteliers, industrialists and real estate developers — must now absorb increases ranging from 10% to 75%.
A tiered structure with sharp contrasts
Authorities segmented the hike into three tiers. Standard non-domestic clients — hotels, shopping malls, factories and bottling companies — face increases of 10% to 25%. Operators drawing raw water directly from rivers or aquifers are hit with a 65% increase. The steepest blow falls on premium real estate schemes: Smart City, Integrated Resort Scheme (IRS), Real Estate Scheme (RES) and Property Development Scheme (PDS) will see water and wastewater bills rise by nearly 75%.
Twelve years without adjustment
The official justification centres on the build-up of operating costs since 2014. CWA Director Shiam Thannoo stated: « This decision is not taken lightly… we do it to optimise our resources. » The government also cites the rise in the consumer price index over the past decade.
Four enabling regulations were approved by the Council of Ministers to govern the new tariff grids for both the CWA and WMA. The exact date of entry into force will be confirmed upon official promulgation.
Households spared, businesses footing the bill
The government stressed that residential tariffs remain unchanged. The strategy is to concentrate the financial burden on heavy commercial users, protecting households while securing the financial sustainability of both water authorities. According to Public Utilities Minister Patrick Assirvaden, one cubic metre of water is currently billed at Rs 14 while its actual production cost stands at Rs 24.
Why it matters
Mauritius had not revised its non-domestic water rates since 2014. This long-overdue correction will weigh on margins for hotels and luxury real estate — two pillars of the Mauritian economy. Affected sectors will need to absorb part of these increases within their operating costs, at a time when tourism competitiveness remains critical for the island's growth model.