KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) says that residential and commercial customers, schools and condominiums will see an overall increase of about four per cent in water rates as a result of its decision on the National Water Commission’s (NWC) 2018 Tariff Application which became effective yesterday, December 9.

The new rates will be reflected in customers’ bills starting 2020 January, the OUR said in a statement today.

Noting that most NWC customers do not pay for sewerage, OUR said on average, customers paying water as well as sewerage rates will see an overall increase of between 15.5 per cent and 17.8 per cent on their bills.

OUR said the NWC submitted its tariff application on October 2, 2018, for a review to its water and sewerage rates and quality of service standards.

Based on convention, the OUR sets the NWC tariff on a five-year review cycle but said the NWC requested in its application that the OUR consider a three-year tariff period, January 2019 to December 2021, instead of the usual five years.