Utilities
Water bills and household utility costs
Water is the household bill that changes most by town. EWURA approves a separate tariff for each water authority, and the domestic rate captured on this site runs from 300 TZS/m³ in Kasulu to 2,481 in Makonde Plateau. The structure differs too: some authorities charge one rate at every volume, others step the price up as consumption rises, and sewerage may be a per-cubic-metre charge, a percentage of the water charge, or absent altogether. A single national water rate would be wrong for most readers, which is why the calculator asks for the service area first.
The water bill calculator covers 21 service areas in 20 mainland regions, using each authority's published schedule and the arithmetic in EWURA's Water Tariff Application and Rate Setting Rules, 2020. It shows the water charge, the sewerage charge and its 18% VAT, any itemised 1% EWURA levy, and the effective rate per cubic metre. This hub also explains the parts of a bill that are not consumption — there is no approved service charge, meter rent or minimum charge — and what to check when the estimate and the bill disagree.
The hub also links the water bill to the rest of the household bill. Electricity is priced per unit and metered differently, but the same sanity check applies: find the published rate, multiply by the units used, and compare with the bill. The electricity guide and the VAT guide explain the two taxes a household meets most often — the exempt water supply and the VATable sewerage — and the calculator links to both.
Which calculator to use
Estimating this month's water bill
Use the Water Bill Calculator. Choose the service area, the customer category and the cubic metres on the meter, and say whether the property is connected to the public sewer. The result separates water, sewerage, VAT and any EWURA levy, so you can see which line is driving the total rather than only the final figure.
Converting a meter reading or a bucket into cubic metres
Water is billed in cubic metres: one cubic metre is 1,000 litres, a 20-litre bucket is 0.02 m³, and a 200-litre drum is 0.2 m³. Use the Volume Converter when a reading, a tank or a delivery is quoted in litres and the bill is in cubic metres, then enter the converted figure in the calculator.
Checking a bill that looks wrong
Compare the bill's category (domestic, institutional, commercial, industrial or kiosk), the rate year and whether sewerage is being charged. A shop billed as domestic, a property on a septic tank charged for sewerage, or a 2026/27 order applied to a 2025/26 table will all explain a gap. If the bill still looks wrong, the authority's customer-service desk is the first stop and EWURA is the regulator of last resort.
Putting the water bill in the household budget
Use the Water Bill Calculator for the water line, the electricity guide for the unit rate, and the VAT guide when a bill or a quote mixes exempt and taxable supplies. A household budget is the sum of these lines, not one national average; the calculator's service-area table is the water part, and the electricity guide is the other utility line most households check.
Common mistakes here
- Assuming a fixed service charge is approved. EWURA's rules disallow service charges, meter rent, application-form fees, penalties and minimum charges not based on consumption; a bill may carry arrears or a reconnection fee, but not a standing water charge.
- Reading a banded tariff as a whole-volume rate. On a progressive schedule the higher rate applies only to the water above the band boundary, so a 15 m³ bill is not 15 × the top rate.
- Adding VAT to the water line. Water supply is VAT-exempt under the VAT Act; only sewerage is taxable at 18%, so a bill that shows VAT on water is worth querying.
- Treating the 2025/26 rate as permanent. Several authorities are in the middle of 2026/27 reviews, and a new order can move the rate substantially; check the rate year before paying a large bill or budgeting for a year.
Worked examples
A 15 m³ household bill in Dar es Salaam
15 m³ on the domestic / household tariff in Dar es Salaam (DAWASA): water TSh 24,945 + sewerage TSh 6,832 including 18% VAT + EWURA levy TSh 318 = TSh 32,095 a month.
A 15 m³ household bill in Mwanza
15 m³ on the domestic / household tariff in Mwanza (MWAUWASA): water TSh 18,450 + sewerage TSh 8,201 including 18% VAT = TSh 26,651 a month.
Calculators
Unit converters
Guides
What a Unit of Electricity Costs in Tanzania
What electricity costs in Tanzania: the average domestic rate per kWh, what common appliances cost to run each month, and how to check a LUKU meter reading.
Tanzania VAT Explained (18%)
How Tanzania's 18% Value Added Tax works: adding VAT to a price, removing it, and when it applies — with a free VAT calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Who sets water tariffs in Tanzania?
EWURA approves a separate schedule for each water supply and sanitation authority. There is no national household water rate; the authority that bills you publishes the rates EWURA approved for its service area.
Why do water bills differ by town?
Each authority sets its own tariff, and the domestic rate captured here runs from 300 TZS/m³ in Kasulu to 2,481 in Makonde Plateau. Some authorities charge one rate at every volume, others band the price by consumption, and sewerage is charged differently or not at all.
Is water VAT-exempt in Tanzania?
Yes. The VAT Act exempts the supply of water, except bottled or canned water. Sewerage is a taxable service at 18%, which is why a water bill carries VAT on the sewerage line and not on the water line.
What is the difference between EWURA and a WSSA?
EWURA is the regulator that approves tariffs and service standards. A WSSA is the water supply and sanitation authority that owns the network, reads the meter and bills you. A complaint starts with the WSSA and can be escalated to EWURA.
Maintained by David M at Delta Tech Solutions · Figures last checked 27 October 2026 · Next check due 27 April 2027