Non payments of water bills pushing supply system towards financial crisis

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Mar, 2026) The failure of thousands of consumers to pay water bills in Peshawar has created a financial crisis for the city’s water supply system.

According to official data on Tuesday, more than 22,000 consumers owe a total of 842.1 million rupees (84 crore 21 lakh) in unpaid water bills.

Officials say the growing unpaid dues are putting heavy pressure on the institution responsible for supplying water to the city. If the situation continues, the regular supply of water to residents could be affected.

Documents and institutional sources reveal that the defaulters include not only household users but also commercial plazas, market owners and business centers. The most alarming fact is that some consumers have not paid their water bills for up to 12 years, causing the outstanding amount to increase continuously. These dues belong to consumers living in 42 union councils within Peshawar city.

Authorities state that 545 tube wells are currently operating to provide water to the city. Running these tube wells requires large electricity expenses, with the monthly electricity bill reaching around 130 million rupees.

As the city’s water supply largely depends on underground tube wells, any delay in paying electricity bills could disrupt water distribution. However, due to widespread non-payment by consumers, it has become increasingly difficult for the department to cover operational costs.

The institution has issued several warning notices to defaulters. To encourage payment, authorities have also announced a 10% discount on outstanding dues for those who clear their bills. Officials warn that if strict action is not taken against defaulters, the institution may face a severe financial crisis and the water supply system could be seriously affected.

Citizens are demanding that the authorities take immediate action against large commercial defaulters to recover the pending amounts. Experts also warn that underground water levels in Peshawar are already declining, and most areas now depend entirely on tube wells.

If an effective strategy is not adopted to recover the outstanding payments, the city’s water supply system could face both financial and administrative collapse, directly impacting the daily lives of millions of residents.