The Coimbatore Consumer Cause (CCC) has urged the Coimbatore Corporation to amend its Water Supply Distribution by-laws and retain domestic charges for water connections for residential buildings where only a small portion of the premises is used for commercial purposes.
In a representation to the Corporation Commissioner, CCC secretary K. Kathirmathiyon said domestic water connections in several mixed-use residential properties were reclassified as non-domestic based on the Water Supply Distribution by-laws. Though the relevant sub-rules were approved by the Corporation Council several years ago, they were not implemented earlier in view of public inconvenience and opposition.
The provisions were enforced during routine meter reading in recent months by personnel engaged by the Corporation, with consumers often receiving no prior notice about the change. Many residents became aware of the reclassification only after receiving water bills reflecting the revised tariff.
The reclassification affected houses where only a small portion, such as a 100 sq.ft. petty shop, was used for commercial activity. Although the water connection was used almost entirely for domestic purposes, the entire service connection was being billed under the non-domestic tariff.
According to the representation, the minimum monthly water charge increased from ₹100 under the domestic category to ₹525 after reclassification as non-domestic. For consumption of up to 15,000 litres a month, the tariff rises from ₹100 to ₹649. The security deposit for the connection also doubled from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000, adding to the financial burden on consumers.
Even where the residential and commercial portions of a building were assessed separately for property tax, there was no justification for converting the domestic water service connection into a non-domestic connection when the water was used solely for household purposes.
He urged the Corporation to amend the relevant by-laws so that water connections in dwelling units continued to be classified as domestic, irrespective of limited commercial activity within the premises. Only businesses that required substantial quantities of water for commercial operations should be brought under the non-domestic category, he said.
Published - July 08, 2026 08:40 pm IST