Tanzania Water Bill Calculator
Estimate a monthly water bill in Tanzania from the cubic metres on the meter. Water is not priced nationally: EWURA approves a separate schedule for each water authority, so the same 15 m³ costs about 26,650 TZS in Mwanza and about 44,450 in Iringa once sewerage is added. This tool covers 21 service areas in 20 regions, uses each authority's published bands and sewerage rule, and shows the arithmetic line by line. It is an estimate of the consumption charge, not a copy of your bill.
Filed under Utilities
Key facts
- Domestic rates captured here run from 300 TZS/m³ in Kasulu to 2,481 in Makonde Plateau — an eight-fold spread.
- DAWASA's Dar es Salaam rate is 1,663 TZS/m³ for water, plus 386 TZS/m³ for sewerage (455.48 with VAT) and a 1% EWURA levy.
- Domestic bands are progressive: each band's rate applies only to the water inside that band (GN 490/2020, rule 18).
- Water is VAT-exempt; sewerage carries 18% VAT.
- There is no approved service charge, meter rent or minimum charge (GN 490/2020, rule 59).
- A 1% EWURA levy is itemised by DAWASA, Morogoro and Busega, not by every authority.
- One unit is one cubic metre, 1,000 litres; a 20-litre bucket is 0.02 m³.
- At 15 m³, the captured bills range from about 26,650 TZS in Mwanza to 44,450 in Iringa.
How a Tanzania water bill is calculated
EWURA's Water Tariff Application and Rate Setting Rules, 2020 (GN 490 of 2020) fix the method. Rule 18 sets progressive domestic bands: a household inside the first block pays Q × T1; above it, the bill is T1 × Q1 + (Q − Q1) × T2, extended for further blocks. So 15 m³ in Mwanza is 10 × 1,140 + 5 × 1,410, not 15 × 1,410. Rule 59 disallows service charges, meter rent and minimum charges, which is why the result has no standing charge. Water is VAT-exempt under the VAT Act; sewerage is taxable at 18%, and the calculator adds it to every sewerage charge. Some authorities itemise a 1% EWURA regulatory levy (DAWASA on water plus sewerage, Morogoro and Busega on water); others do not, and the tool adds none there.
Bill = water (each band's rate × the m³ inside it) + sewerage + 18% VAT on sewerage + 1% EWURA levy where the authority charges itDomestic water rates by service area
| Service area | Region | Domestic rate (TZS/m³) | Structure | Sewerage | Rate year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dar es Salaam (DAWASA) | Dar es Salaam | 1,663 | Flat rate, all volumes | 386 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2023 (unchanged since 2020/21) |
| Chalinze (DAWASA) | Pwani | 2,800 / 2,890 / 2,900 | 0–5 m³, >5–10 m³, above 10 m³ | None published | 2023 |
| Arusha (AUWSA) | Arusha | 1,850 | Flat rate, all volumes | 500 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2024/25 |
| Mwanza (MWAUWASA) | Mwanza | 1,140 / 1,410 / 1,460 | 0–10 m³, >10–25 m³, above 25 m³ | 450 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2021/22 |
| Dodoma (DUWASA) | Dodoma | 1,858 | Flat rate, all volumes | 40% of water charge | 2025/26 |
| Mbeya (Mbeya WSSA) | Mbeya | 1,560 | Flat rate, all volumes | 500 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2024/25 |
| Morogoro (MORUWASA) | Morogoro | 1,600 | Flat rate, all volumes | 600 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2025/26 |
| Moshi (MUWSA) | Kilimanjaro | 1,078 | Flat rate, all volumes | 426 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2024/25 |
| Tanga (TANGAUWASA) | Tanga | 1,710 / 1,805 / 1,995 / 2,285 | 0–5 m³, >5–10 m³, >10–30 m³, above 30 m³ | 500 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2025/26 |
| Iringa (IRUWASA) | Iringa | 1,920 / 2,060 / 2,320 | 0–5 m³, >5–40 m³, above 40 m³ | 40–50% of water charge | 2025/26 |
| Songea (SUWASA) | Ruvuma | 1,730 | Flat rate, all volumes | 480 TZS/m³ + VAT | 2025/26 |
| Shinyanga (SHUWASA) | Shinyanga | 1,490 / 1,740 | 0–5 m³, above 5 m³ | None published | 2024/25 |
| Lindi (LIWASA) | Lindi | 2,229 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2025/26 |
| Makonde Plateau (Makonde WSSA) | Mtwara | 2,481 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2025/26 |
| Musoma (MUWASA) | Mara | 1,040 / 1,210 / 1,330 | 0–5 m³, >5–10 m³, above 10 m³ | None published | 2025/26 |
| Karatu (Karatu WSSA) | Arusha | 1,300 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2025/26 |
| Kasulu (Kasulu WSSA) | Kigoma | 300 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2025/26 |
| Biharamulo (Biharamulo WSSA) | Kagera | 1,500 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2026/27 |
| Wanging'ombe (Wanging'ombe WSSA) | Njombe | 1,243 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2026/27 |
| Busega (Busega WSSA) | Simiyu | 1,250 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2024/25 |
| Igunga (IGUWASA) | Tabora | 1,666 | Flat rate, all volumes | None published | 2022/23 |
Why the same consumption costs different amounts in different towns
Each water authority sets its own tariff and EWURA approves it separately. The domestic rate captured here ranges from 300 TZS/m³ in Kasulu to 2,481 in Makonde Plateau, and the structure varies too: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Dodoma and most upcountry authorities charge one rate at every volume, while Mwanza, Tanga, Iringa, Shinyanga, Musoma and Chalinze step the price up as consumption rises. Sewerage is a separate charge, either per cubic metre or as a percentage of the water charge, and a few authorities publish no sewerage tariff at all. A calculator that applied one national rate would be wrong by more than half for most readers.
There is no standing charge on a Tanzanian water bill
Rule 59 of GN 490 of 2020 prohibits a service charge, meter rent, an application-form fee, penalties and a minimum charge that is not based on consumption. A bill may still include arrears, a reconnection fee or a private tanker charge, but the monthly consumption charge itself has no fixed add-on. Several third-party calculators add a 'service charge' line anyway; this one does not, because no approved order we captured contains one.
Water is VAT-exempt, but sewerage is not
The VAT Act Cap. 148 exempts 'supply of water, except bottled or canned water'. Sewerage is a taxable service at 18%. DAWASA and Morogoro state the VAT on sewerage explicitly (DAWASA's 386 TZS/m³ becomes 455.48 with VAT); the other schedules publish the sewerage rate without the tax, and the calculator adds 18% to it. If your bill shows VAT on the water line itself, that is worth querying with the authority, because the water supply is exempt.
The 1% EWURA levy
Some authorities add a 1% regulatory levy to the bill and show it as its own line. DAWASA applies 1% to water plus sewerage including VAT; Morogoro and Busega apply it to the water charge. Other authorities fold the levy into the approved rate and do not itemise it, so the calculator shows no separate line for them. Adding 1% to every bill would overstate those authorities' totals by exactly the amount they do not charge.
How to read the meter and convert to cubic metres
One cubic metre is 1,000 litres. A meter reading is usually the black digits in m³, with the red dials showing fractions of a cubic metre. Subtract last month's reading from this month's to get the consumption to enter. A four-person household without a garden typically uses 10–20 m³ a month; a single-room flat with a shared tap often uses 5–10. If your bill is based on an estimated reading rather than an actual one, the number on the bill is not the water you used, and the next actual reading will true it up.
DAWASA water bill in Dar es Salaam
DAWASA publishes one water rate for domestic and all other users: 1,663 TZS/m³, plus 386 TZS/m³ for sewerage, 18% VAT on the sewerage (455.48 TZS/m³) and a 1% EWURA levy on water plus sewerage. A 15 m³ household connected to the sewer pays about 32,095 TZS a month. Chalinze, in Pwani, has its own banded table: 2,800 TZS/m³ for 1–5 m³, 2,890 for 6–10 and 2,900 above 11.
What is an average water bill in Tanzania?
At 15 m³, the bills in the table range from about 26,650 TZS in Mwanza to 44,450 in Iringa, with Dar es Salaam at 32,095. The average depends on the authority, the customer category and whether the property is on the sewer. EWURA's fact sheet puts the average water tariff across all WSSAs at 1,437 TZS/m³, but that is revenue per cubic metre across all customers, not a household rate — do not multiply it by your meter reading and expect your bill.
How much is water per unit in Tanzania?
One unit is one cubic metre, which is 1,000 litres. A 20-litre bucket is 0.02 m³, a 200-litre drum is 0.2 m³, and a household using 15 units has used 15 m³. The rate table is per cubic metre, so the arithmetic is the rate for your band multiplied by the units used — there is no separate 'unit' conversion for water.
How to pay or check your water bill
A water bill is paid to the authority, not to this site. DAWASA's charter lists bank and mobile-money channels — NMB, NBC, Azania, CRDB, Stanbic and ABSA, and M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money, TTCL Pesa and HaloPesa — as well as DAWASA offices. To check an account, use the authority's official bill-request channel; the calculator cannot read a customer account, and no account number is needed for the estimate. Other authorities publish their own channels on the bill.
How to complain about a water bill
Start with the authority's customer-service desk and keep the bill, the meter reading and any correspondence. If the authority does not resolve it, the complaint can go to EWURA, which regulates water tariffs and service standards under the EWURA Act Cap. 414 and its consumer-complaints rules. The regulator can require the authority to explain a charge; it does not set your individual bill.
Bei ya maji: the Swahili terms
The Swahili for the water price is 'bei ya maji', and the bill is 'bili ya maji'. A cubic metre is 'mita ya ujazo', a payment is 'malipo ya maji', and a water authority is 'mamlaka ya maji'. The search phrase 'bei ya maji kwa unit' means the price per unit, where one unit is one cubic metre. These terms are here so a reader searching in Swahili can match the table to the bill.
What to do if the estimate and your bill disagree
Check three things before assuming the calculator is wrong. First, the category: a shop or a guesthouse is billed commercial, not domestic, and the commercial rate is often 30–50% higher. Second, the sewerage: a property connected to the public sewer pays it, a property on a septic tank does not. Third, the date of the rate: several authorities are in the middle of 2026/27 reviews (Tanga, Songea, Karatu, Kasulu and Musoma have applications pending), and the 2025/26 rates above are the last approved schedule until a new order is gazetted. If the bill still looks wrong, the authority's customer-service desk is the first stop and EWURA is the regulator of last resort.
Which service areas are covered, and which are not
The tool covers 21 service areas in 20 mainland regions: Dar es Salaam, Pwani (Chalinze), Arusha (Arusha and Karatu), Mwanza, Dodoma, Mbeya, Morogoro, Kilimanjaro (Moshi), Tanga, Iringa, Ruvuma (Songea), Shinyanga, Lindi, Mtwara (Makonde Plateau), Mara (Musoma), Kigoma (Kasulu), Kagera (Biharamulo), Njombe (Wanging'ombe), Simiyu (Busega) and Tabora (Igunga). Six mainland regions are not covered because we could not verify a current published schedule: Geita, Katavi, Manyara, Rukwa, Singida and Songwe. Rural schemes are priced by their communities under RUWASA guidance and are not on a national schedule, and Zanzibar has its own regulator and utility. Neither is estimated here.
Tanzania water bill worked examples
A 15 m³ household bill in Dar es Salaam
Neema owns a three-bedroom house in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam, connected to the public sewer, and uses about 15 m³ a month.
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
Baraka owns a four-bedroom house in Mwanza city and wants to compare the same 15 m³ with Dar es Salaam.
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.
A 15 m³ household bill in Iringa
Grace lives in Iringa municipality, where the domestic tariff steps up at 5 m³ and 40 m³ and sewerage is 40% of the water charge.
15 m³ on the domestic / household tariff in Iringa (IRUWASA): water TSh 30,200 + sewerage TSh 14,254 including 18% VAT = TSh 44,454 a month.
A 5 m³ flat in Dar es Salaam on the lowest band
Amina rents a one-room flat in Temeke and uses about 5 m³ a month from a shared meter.
5 m³ on the domestic / household tariff in Dar es Salaam (DAWASA): water TSh 8,315 + sewerage TSh 2,277 including 18% VAT + EWURA levy TSh 106 = TSh 10,698 a month.
A 30 m³ restaurant bill in Arusha
Hassan runs a restaurant in Arusha and uses about 30 m³ a month on the commercial tariff.
30 m³ on the commercial tariff in Arusha (AUWSA): water TSh 70,200 + sewerage TSh 30,444 including 18% VAT = TSh 100,644 a month.
Water bill estimate: assumptions and limits
What it assumes
- The bill is calculated from a metered volume in cubic metres, at the authority's last published tariff. It is not the amount on an estimated or averaged bill.
- Domestic bands are applied progressively under rule 18 of GN 490 of 2020: each band's rate applies only to the volume inside that band.
- Sewerage is charged only when the reader says the property is connected to the public sewer. A property on a septic tank or cesspit does not pay it.
- Sewerage carries 18% VAT. Water is VAT-exempt under the VAT Act Cap. 148; no VAT is added to the water line.
- The 1% EWURA levy is added only for DAWASA, Morogoro and Busega, the authorities whose published documents itemise it; the others are treated as including the levy in the approved rate.
- Rates are the last approved schedule we could verify, not a promise that no newer order exists. Several authorities have 2026/27 applications pending.
- Only the five main customer categories are modelled: domestic, institutional, commercial, industrial and kiosk. Bulk, bowser, bottling and standpipe-only rates are excluded.
- The calculation is monthly. A bill covering two months, a final bill on a move-out, and a bill with arrears will all differ from this estimate.
Where the result does not apply
- Does not cover the six mainland regions with no verified current schedule: Geita, Katavi, Manyara, Rukwa, Singida and Songwe.
- Does not cover rural community water schemes, which set their own tariffs under RUWASA guidance, or Zanzibar, which has a separate regulator.
- Does not include connection or reconnection fees, meter deposits, cesspit emptying, sludge disposal or private tanker charges.
- Does not include arrears, penalties, interest or a payment-plan balance carried on the account.
- Does not cover bulk, bowser, bottling or construction-water customers, whose rates differ from the five standard categories.
- Does not predict a 2026/27 rate before its order is gazetted, and does not average a future multi-year step into the current figure.
- Does not handle a shared meter split between tenants, or a bill based on an estimated rather than an actual reading.
Tanzania water bill FAQs
How is a water bill calculated in Tanzania?
EWURA approves a schedule for each water authority. A metered bill is the volume in cubic metres multiplied by the approved rate, plus sewerage where the property is connected, plus 18% VAT on the sewerage, plus any itemised 1% EWURA levy. Domestic customers on a banded schedule pay each band's rate only on the water inside that band, under rule 18 of GN 490 of 2020.
Why is my bill different from this estimate?
Four common reasons: the customer category is commercial rather than domestic, the property is on the public sewer, the rate has been replaced by a newer 2026/27 order, or the bill includes arrears, a reconnection fee or an estimated reading. Check the category and the rate year first.
Is there a fixed monthly service charge on a Tanzanian water bill?
No. Rule 59 of EWURA's Water Tariff Application and Rate Setting Rules, 2020 prohibits a service charge, meter rent, an application-form fee, penalties and a minimum charge not based on consumption. A bill can include arrears or a reconnection fee, but not a standing charge for the water connection.
Is VAT charged on water in Tanzania?
Water supply is VAT-exempt under the VAT Act Cap. 148, except bottled or canned water. Sewerage is a taxable service at 18%, which is why the sewerage line carries VAT and the water line does not.
What is the 1% EWURA levy?
A regulatory levy some authorities add to the bill and show separately. DAWASA applies it to water plus sewerage including VAT; Morogoro and Busega apply it to the water charge. The calculator adds it only where the authority's own document states it.
How many cubic metres does a household use in Tanzania?
A four-person household without a garden typically uses 10–20 m³ a month; a single-room flat with a shared tap often uses 5–10. One cubic metre is 1,000 litres, and a 20-litre bucket is 0.02 m³.
Why is Dar es Salaam a flat rate while Mwanza has bands?
DAWASA's charter publishes one water rate, 1,663 TZS/m³, for domestic and all other users, plus 386 TZS/m³ for sewerage. Mwanza's schedule has three domestic bands (up to 10, 11–25 and above 25 m³), so a high user pays more per cubic metre at the margin. Both structures are approved by EWURA; they are simply different tariff designs.
Why is Kasulu 300 TZS/m³ when Makonde Plateau is 2,481?
The rates are set by each authority's cost base, its subsidy position and its approved revenue requirement, not by a national formula. Kasulu's 300 TZS/m³ is heavily subsidised and is the lowest captured here; Makonde Plateau's 2,481 reflects a different cost structure. The eight-fold gap is the clearest reason a single national calculator would mislead.
My town is not listed — can I still estimate my bill?
Yes, from your own bill: divide the water charge by the cubic metres, and check whether the result matches one of the published rates in the table. If your authority is not covered, the page deliberately does not guess its rate; the six uncovered mainland regions are listed in the exclusions.
Does this calculator cover rural water schemes?
No. Rural schemes are priced by their communities under RUWASA's water-pricing guideline, and there is no national per-scheme schedule to cite. The rates here are urban WSSA tariffs.
Does this calculator cover Zanzibar?
No. Zanzibar has its own water utility and regulator, outside EWURA's mainland tariff orders, and we could not verify a current published schedule for it.
What about connection, reconnection and arrears?
They are outside the estimate. A new connection is usually 20% of the recoverable connection cost or a fixed 26,000 TZS; a reconnection is typically 15,000–30,000 TZS; arrears are whatever the account carries. The calculator estimates the monthly consumption charge only.
How current are these rates?
Each row shows the last approved year we could verify from the authority's charter, order or a 2026 EWURA notice. Several authorities (Tanga, Songea, Karatu, Kasulu and Musoma) have 2026/27 applications pending, so the 2025/26 figures may be replaced during the year. Check the rate year before relying on a figure for a large payment.
How do I read my water meter?
Read the black digits, which are whole cubic metres, and ignore the red dials unless you need a fraction. Subtract the previous reading from the current one to get the monthly consumption, then enter that number. If the bill says 'estimated', the number on it is not a reading.
How much is a DAWASA water bill in Dar es Salaam?
DAWASA's published rate is 1,663 TZS/m³ for water, 386 TZS/m³ for sewerage plus 18% VAT (455.48 TZS/m³), and a 1% EWURA levy on water plus sewerage. A household using 15 m³ and connected to the sewer pays about 32,095 TZS a month. Chalinze has its own banded table, starting at 2,800 TZS/m³.
What is the average water bill in Tanzania?
At 15 m³, the captured bills range from about 26,650 TZS in Mwanza to 44,450 in Iringa, with Dar es Salaam at 32,095. The figure depends on the authority, the customer category and sewerage. EWURA's 1,437 TZS/m³ average is revenue per cubic metre across all customers, not a household rate.
How much is water per unit in Tanzania?
One unit is one cubic metre, or 1,000 litres. A 20-litre bucket is 0.02 m³ and a 200-litre drum is 0.2 m³. The published rate is per cubic metre, so multiply the rate for your band by the units used; there is no separate unit conversion for water.
How do I pay or check my DAWASA bill?
Pay through DAWASA's official channels — the banks and mobile-money services listed in its charter, or a DAWASA office. To check an account, use DAWASA's official bill-request channel; this calculator cannot read a customer account and does not need an account number.
How do I complain about a water bill?
Start with the authority's customer-service desk and keep the bill, meter reading and correspondence. If it is not resolved, escalate to EWURA, which regulates water tariffs and service standards under the EWURA Act Cap. 414 and its consumer-complaints rules.
Why is my water bill higher than this estimate?
A leak, a shared meter, an estimated rather than actual reading, arrears, a commercial category or a newer 2026/27 tariff order can all make the bill higher. Check the meter reading and the rate year on the bill first, then ask the authority to explain the difference.
What is the Swahili for water bill?
The bill is 'bili ya maji' and the water price is 'bei ya maji'. A cubic metre is 'mita ya ujazo', a payment is 'malipo ya maji', and a water authority is 'mamlaka ya maji'. 'Bei ya maji kwa unit' means the price per unit, where one unit is one cubic metre.
This page is provided for general information only. Figures come from the sources listed and may change; verify anything you rely on with the organisation that sets it.
Results are estimates provided for information only and do not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Delta Tech Solutions prepared this page. No external tax, accounting or legal professional reviewed it — the figures were checked against the sources listed above, and you should confirm anything you rely on with the authority that sets it.
Maintained by David M at Delta Tech Solutions · Figures last checked 27 October 2026 · Next check due 27 April 2027
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