New water and sewage connection prices and fees 2025
The Saudi Water Authority has officially announced a comprehensive update to water and wastewater connection fees, as part of its ongoing efforts to develop infrastructure and improve services for citizens and residents. This announcement comes within the framework of the Water and Wastewater Services Provision Guide (Version 1.5 for 2025), which primarily aims to regulate the mechanisms for calculating financial costs based on building areas and the different sectors served, thus ensuring the highest levels of efficiency and fairness in service delivery.
Strategic context and development of the water sector in Saudi Arabia
Historically, Saudi Arabia has faced significant water resource challenges due to its desert geography and climate. With the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, the government developed a comprehensive national water strategy aimed at ensuring the sustainability of water resources, protecting the environment, and providing high-quality services with economic efficiency. Updating regulations and systems related to the sector is not a recent development, but rather the culmination of cumulative government efforts to restructure the water sector to be more sustainable and reliant on modern technologies in management and operation. This will reduce water waste and enhance the efficiency of government spending on infrastructure and public utilities.
Details of water and sewage connection fees for the residential sector
The authority clarified that the fees for connecting services to the residential sector depend directly on the building area. Water and sewage connection fees for buildings with an area not exceeding 675 square meters have been set at 3,000 riyals for water service and 5,000 riyals for sewage service. A progressive fee applies for areas exceeding these limits, while actual implementation costs are calculated for areas exceeding 3,000 square meters. The authority also confirmed an additional fee of 1,000 riyals for each additional building unit for both water and sewage services in the residential sector, noting that meter diameters are determined according to approved engineering schedules.
Service delivery rates for non-residential and governmental sectors
For the non-residential sector (commercial and industrial), fees start at SAR 15,000 for water service and SAR 20,000 for sewage for small areas, with gradual increases and the calculation of actual implementation costs and application fees for larger areas. For the government sector, fees start at the same amounts (SAR 15,000 for water and SAR 20,000 for sewage), with actual project costs calculated for large projects without additional charges per unit. If the real estate developer has already installed the connections, a fee of SAR 1,000 is required for meter installation, data registration, or both, in accordance with the approved regulatory procedures.
The expected impact of infrastructure sustainability locally and regionally
This update is of paramount importance locally, as it contributes to directing investments towards improving network quality and reducing water loss, thus ensuring service continuity for future generations. Regionally and internationally, this regulation reinforces the Kingdom's position as a leading model in managing public utilities based on sustainable economic and environmental principles. The structure of these fees ensures the availability of financial liquidity that can be reinvested in the maintenance and expansion of treatment and pumping stations, positively impacting quality of life and supporting global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to providing clean water and reliable sanitation services.
