RIYADH: Saudis and expats are still in a state of shock over the hike in water tariff even as the National Water Company (NWC) has given several explanations following an intervention by the Shoura Council.

The company implemented the new water tariff on Jan. 11. Accordingly, the charges are supposed to be 0.15 halalas per cubic meter, which is less than one-third of the real cost that the state bears.

Some citizens posted a video footage on social media alleging foul play in the new system. Arab News also received some of the footage showing a tank full and the water meter moving rapidly, indicating high water consumption.

The citizen who took the video said a representative of the water company insisted that there was nothing wrong with the meter and that water tariff has been increased.

Another video footage posted by a citizen shows wind instead of water coming from the water tank while the meter is running fast.

A Filipino family is shocked by the new water bills. “Last year, we paid SR79 in October, November and December. However, in February this year, we were asked to pay SR255.75 on the ground that the charges have been increased,” said Editha Valderosa Cetro. “To my shock, on Feb. 26, another bill of SR853 came, followed by a bill for SR1,817 in March.”

Another Filipino, Charlotte Ludovice, said, “We the Filipino expats here in Riyadh have been complaining about the huge increase in our water bills. I was really shocked when we received a bill much higher than the past few months,” he said.

He said there is no meter data that can show fluctuation in the rate of water consumption. “We come to know about the amount only when the bill is delivered to us,” he added.