Kyiv City Council has voted to double local water supply and wastewater disposal tariffs to 63.79 hryvnias per cubic metre for residents of the capital.
The new rate replaces the existing combined tariff of 30.38 hryvnias per cubic metre, which consists of 16.16 hryvnias for water supply and 14.22 hryvnias for wastewater disposal, both including value-added tax.
Reporting by Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on the council meeting noted that municipal officials attributed the price adjustment to rising operational expenses, including higher electricity rates, fuel prices, and water treatment reagent costs.
Kyiv City Council serves as the elected municipal governing body for Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, overseeing local budget decisions and public services across the city's districts.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko stated that the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission had recommended raising water tariffs as early as 2024, adding that utility providers across various Ukrainian regions are currently increasing their rates. Klitschko, a former professional heavyweight boxing champion who has served as mayor since 2014, emphasized that the water supply sector has reached the brink of survival.
Klitschko noted that municipal authorities would not introduce full economically justified tariffs for the population, but argued that water prices could not remain unchanged while fuel, electricity, and chemical reagent costs continue to surge.
Rising operational pressures
Deputy Mayor Petro Panteleyev, who oversees housing and communal infrastructure in the capital, explained that the decision aims to prevent an even sharper surge in water costs for city residents. Panteleyev said that the national regulator previously recommended setting the rate near 90 hryvnias per cubic metre.
Panteleyev warned that if the council failed to approve the increase, legal obligations could force tariffs up to the full economically justified level of roughly 90 hryvnias per cubic metre. He highlighted that municipal water utility workers receive some of the lowest wages among public utility companies, and cautioned that the utility would struggle to operate during the winter as the annual heating season approaches without supplementary funding.
Regional utility trends
The municipal decision follows broader nationwide increases in utility costs reported by Ukrainian news agency UNIAN. Water supply and sanitation tariffs rose significantly in numerous regions across Ukraine starting July 1, with costs doubling or tripling in select cities.
The Kyiv City State Administration, the executive arm of the capital's municipal government, had previously announced that the combined water supply and wastewater tariff for local households would reach 63.79 hryvnias per cubic metre.
