IN THIS POST
– About Karachi Water Board
– History of Karachi Water Board
– Functions
– Technical Services
– E-Services
– Contact Details
– FAQs
The Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, more commonly referred to as Karachi Water Board or by its abbreviation KWSB, is the primary body responsible for providing the residents of the city with clean, treated potable water. It is also responsible for planning and maintenance of sewerage and drainage system in Karachi.
KWSB is a service-based organisation that functions under the Government of Sindh.
Here is a complete overview of the Karachi Water Board, including its history, functions, services and more.
About Karachi Water & Sewerage Board
The Karachi Water & Sewerage Board was established in February 1983 under Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for the planning, designing, development and maintenance of water supply and sewerage system in the city. It is also the primary government organisation in Karachi that ensures the proper distribution and delivery of safe, clean, treated and hygienic water to satisfy the demand of the residents.
The KWSB is headed by the Chairman, who is assisted by the Vice-Chairman followed by a Managing Director or MD. There are more than 11,500 employees in Karachi Water Board, working in various departments, such as Administration, Planning, Finance, Taxation, Bulk Water and more.
Although it was created under KMC, the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board was later separated from the city government. Now, the Government of Sindh approves its budget and increase in user charges. The organisation earns its revenue through domestic and commercial water connections, sewerage connections, and water billing, among others.
History of Karachi Water Board
The planning and maintenance of water supply in Karachi has been undertaken by several agencies since the independence of Pakistan.
In 1953, the Karachi Joint Water Board was established to execute the first-ever major expansion of the city’s water supply system from the Indus River. After the creation of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in 1957, the expansion project was entrusted to the said authority. Meanwhile, the supply and retailing of potable water remained the responsibility of KMC along with 22 other independent organisations.
However, as the urban infrastructure and population of Karachi began to expand and grow, the production, distribution and maintenance of water supply and sewerage systems became increasingly difficult to manage and integrate. Therefore, the Karachi Water Management Board (KWMB) was established in 1981 to fulfil the responsibility of water distribution in the sprawling metropolis. It was also given enhanced authority for cost recovery. However, it still relied on KMC for a revenue base.
Although some changes were made in its structure to make KWMB more viable, including a change of tariff structure, KMC was still fully responsible for the maintenance of sewerage and drainage system in Karachi.
Eventually, the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board was created under the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance of February 1983. It was entrusted with the responsibility of handling both water supply and sewerage system in Karachi while operating under KMC. In 1966, the government enforced the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board Act 1996, which provided the legal framework, financial guidelines, specification of functions, and delegation of powers in the organisation. Under the Act, the Karachi Water Board was separated from the KMC.
Functions of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board
The Karachi Water Board has three main functions:
- Bulk production, filtration, treatment, conservation, transmission and retail distribution of clean water
- Collection, pumping, treatment, and disposal of sewage and industrial waste in Karachi
- Billing and collection of water and sewerage charges including arrears from the consumers
Technical Services Provided by the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board
Here are some of the main functions of Water and Sewerage Board Karachi:
- Water management
- Sewerage management
- Water conservation
- Quality assurance
The Karachi Water Board is also responsible for the maintenance of:
- Over 10,000 km of pipelines
- More than 900 million gallons of fluid
- Over 150 pumping stations
- More than 400,000 valves
- Over 250,000 manholes
- 25 bulk reservoirs
- Billing and recovery of 1.4 million consumers
Furthermore, Water Board Karachi installs two different types of water connections depending on the property: domestic and commercial. Both of these connections have different tariffs.
The KWSB also provided water tankers to fulfil the needs of consumers facing water shortage in their areas. These tankers are provided at various charges depending on the amount of water they are carrying.
E-Services provided by the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board
Let’s take a look at some of the e-services provided by KWSB to its consumers
- E-Payment: Allows consumers to pay their Karachi Water Board bills online
- Online Duplicate Bills: Allows consumers to obtain a duplicate bill online
- E-Complaint: Allows consumers to file their complaints from the comfort of their homes
- E-Tracking: Allows consumers to keep a track of their online complaints
You can access these services by visiting the Karachi Water Board official website and hovering your mouse over the ‘e-Services’ tab in the top navigation panel to access the drop-down menu.
Karachi Water Board Contact Details
Here are the Water Board Karachi contact details:
Karachi Water & Sewerage Board Complaint Number: 1339
Karachi Water Board Complaint Centre (Head Office)
Phone Number: 021-99230317
Customer Service Centre Karsaz
Address: 9th Mile Consumer Services Centre, Karsaz, Karachi
Phone Number: 021-99245138 and 021-99245140
For online water tanker booking through Karachi Water Board, please call the following numbers between 5:00 AM and 9:00 PM:
Online Tankers Centre: 021-99245152, 021-99245178, 021-99240802
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board.
How to apply for a new water connection from KWSB?
In order to apply for a new water connection, you need to download the New Connection Form from the official website of KWSB. Next, fill the application form for the water connection and attach the required documents pertaining to the property where the new water connection is required. You must submit this form to the respective Revenue Office of Karachi Water Board. An officer will then issue you a Bank Challan, which you’ll need to deposit in the concerned bank and collect the payment receipt.
How many types of water connections does KWSB offer?
The Karachi Water Board offers to install two types of connections: Domestic and commercial.
How to file a complaint with KWSB?
In order to file a complaint with Water Board Karachi, you can visit your respective KWSB Revenue Office or submit it online.
In order to file an online complaint, you will be required to visit the KWSB website and click on ‘Post an Online Complaint’ in the right-hand navigation menu. You will be presented with two options:
- Click here to post online complaints
- Track your complaint
Clicking on the first option will lead you to another webpage that will ask you to add your KWSB consumer reference number along with your name, email, phone number, address, complaint and a few other details. You can just press submit after filling all the relevant fields, after which you will get a computer-generated complaint number. You can use this number for KWSB complaint tracking.
Another option is to directly contact the Karachi Water Board complaint centre.
How to change the name of the owner in the water bill?
If you have bought a house or an apartment and want to change the name of the owner on the water bill, you must submit the photocopies of the following documents to the respective Revenue Office of Karachi Water Board.
- A formal request
- Sales Deed
- Gift Deed (if any)
- Lease Document of Property
- Sub Lease
- Mutation
How to change the property from commercial to domestic?
If you want to change your connection from commercial to domestic, you will need to submit the following documents:
- Copy of the Income Tax Exemption from FBR
- Registration Certificate from the Directorate of Social Welfare Government of Sindh
- Copy of PT 1 from the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department
How to get Karachi Water Board duplicate bill?
To get a Karachi Water Board duplicate bill, you will need to visit the organisation’s official website and hover over the ‘e-Services’ tab in the top navigation panel. Click on ‘e-Bill (Retail)’ from the drop-down menu and enter your KWSB consumer reference number in the relevant field to generate your online duplicate bill.
How to see the complete history of the water bill?
You can obtain a computerized monthly and annual breakup from the IT Department in the KWSB Head Office.
How can you pay your Karachi Water & Sewerage Board bills?
You can pay your KWSB bills through several means:
- Authorizes bank branches
- Authorized post offices
- NADRA bill collection system
- Online bill payment system
This brings an end to our comprehensive guide on the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board. If you have any queries or feedback regarding the topic, please feel free to send us an email at blog@zameen.com.
Meanwhile, you can also check out our in-depth overviews on Sindh Excise and Taxation Department, Board of Secondary Education Karachi, list of passport offices, and NADRA centres in Karachi.
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Disclaimer: The information above has been extracted from the Karachi Water Board official website. For more information on water and sewerage tariffs, please contact the government organisation.
