Politics
Silom Mayor Cuts Water Bills for Low-Use Homes Starting August
The 2026 Silom Municipal Water Ordinance revises usage tiers starting August 1, lowering charges for low-consumption homes while raising them for higher-volume users in the district.
How we reported this
The Silom mayor signed the revised municipal water billing ordinance last week, which introduces new usage tiers for residential accounts. Low-volume households will pay less per unit after the first 10 cubic metres, while accounts exceeding 30 cubic metres monthly face an increase of 8 baht per additional unit.
The change follows the council's review of the 2026 operating budget for the Silom Water Authority, which recorded a 12 per cent rise in treatment costs compared with the prior year. Council documents show the adjustment aims to align revenue with those expenses without drawing from general reserves.
Effects on Resident Accounts
Households that stay under 15 cubic metres a month, common in single-person or older apartments in the Silom core, will see bills drop by roughly 45 baht on average. Families or shared homes that regularly exceed 35 cubic metres will face an added 120 to 180 baht each billing cycle, according to the authority's published rate table.
Small businesses operating from residential addresses, such as home-based laundries, will fall under the higher residential tier if their monthly draw tops 25 cubic metres. The ordinance does not alter separate commercial rates, which remain unchanged.
The legislation states that the first tier stays fixed at 15 baht per cubic metre up to 10 units, with the second tier rising from 22 to 30 baht. Authority records list 47,200 residential accounts in the district that will be recalculated under the new schedule.
Next Steps for Implementation
Billing statements issued after August 1 will reflect the new tiers, with the water authority mailing comparison notices to all accounts by July 25. Residents can request a one-time usage audit through the municipal portal if they believe their meter reading includes leaks.
The council has scheduled a public information session at the Silom community centre on July 22 to explain the calculation method and answer questions on payment plans for accounts that exceed the new thresholds.