Bhubaneswar, May 30: The state government is in the process of bringing new rules to rein in water wastage in the city.

So, the next time you apply for a water connection from the Public Health Engineering Organisation (Pheo), you might have to execute an agreement with it. It would be mandatory under the new Odisha Water Works Rules 2016, which the government is likely to notify soon.

Sources said that under the new rules, both new and old connection holders would have to ink agreements with Pheo. The officials will have the power to inspect any house for unauthorised connection and will fine the violators accordingly.

The state government has after 36 years decided to bring the new rules into force. It was following the Odisha Water Works Rule of 1980.

Moreover, the new rules further restrict households to a maximum of two connections. Violators will have to pay heavy fines.

"The state government had engaged a Calcutta-based agency to draft the new rules. It was checked and approved by all the top officials of Pheo, including the superintending and executive engineers. The main gist of the rules is to check water theft and increase revenue," said superintending engineer Chitta Ranjan Jena.

For execution of water connection, the applicant will have to bear all the cost of laying or altering water supply lines.

Moreover, the applicant will also have to engage a plumber authorised by the urban local body and pay for the materials, including ferrules, pipes, fittings, masonry and the labour cost.

"This is a good move by the government to bring a stringent rule to combat water wastage. Many users and private tankers violate rules by stealing water. Many households have also fitted motors to draw more water. This should also be checked by the authorities," said Kanak Lata Tripathy, a Bhimtangi resident.

To check depletion of groundwater level, the rules also bar households from digging their own water sources. The rules say that any household or apartment that wants to create its own source will have to take permission from the local authorities by giving adequate reasons.

However, one part of the rules that might invite trouble for the authorities will be a general hike in the water tax. According to the rules, Pheo will hike water tax by five per cent every year. It also says that the users can pay the tax monthly or on a one-time basis per year.

If they fail to pay the tax on time, the authorities will have the power to terminate their connection.

The new rules also emphasised on installing water meters in the households. At present, in Bhubaneswar, there are only 67,000 registered consumers. Sources said efforts would be made to identify and register all households using the water supplied by the Pheo.

At present, Pheo supplies nearly 295 million litres of water every day to the city's population of nearly nine lakh.

Of its 67,000 registered consumers, the Pheo has installed water meters only in commercial establishments. Domestic users are yet to be brought under the rule.

Once the meters are installed, domestic consumers will have to pay Rs 3.94 for every thousand litres of water and commercial establishments in the designated areas will have to cough up Rs 13.03 for every thousand litres of water.