Water & Home Services in Saudi Arabia: How to Connect

Setting up a new home in Saudi Arabia means getting your essential utilities connected, and water is near the top of that list. Whether you have just purchased a property, moved into a new build, or are a developer finishing a project, the water and wastewater connection process is now handled almost entirely through electronic channels. This guide from سعودي ليفنج walks you through how connections work, what documents you need, how fees are calculated, and where to pay — so you can get your taps and drainage running without unnecessary back-and-forth.

How to request a water connection

A property water and wastewater connection is requested electronically. You submit your application through the National Water Company's approved online channel or via the Saudi government services portal. There is no need to visit an office for most standard residential requests — the entire request, review, and invoicing cycle is designed to be completed digitally.

You can start and track your request through any of these channels:

• The National Water Company website
• The NWC mobile application
• The NWC online branch
• The Saudi government services portal

What information and documents you need

Before you begin, gather your property details so the request can be assessed quickly. You will typically be asked for:

• The property account and its location
• Ownership or occupancy details
• Supporting property documents

Having accurate location and classification details ready matters, because the assessment of your connection — especially for wastewater — depends on these specifics.

How connection costs are calculated

The applicant generally pays the cost of connecting to the public network. For sewer (wastewater) connections, the fee is not a single flat figure. Instead, it is calculated based on three factors:

• Property classification
• Property area
• Connection diameter

Because these factors vary from one property to another, there is no universal fixed price. The exact amount in ريال سعودي is issued only after your property is assessed, so treat any estimate as provisional until you receive the official invoice.

For eligible new developments where the developer installs the connection within the property boundary during construction, there is an approved charge of SAR 1,000 per metre.

Paying your connection invoice

Once the assessment is complete and the full invoice is issued, you can settle it in one of two ways:

• Pay the complete invoice after it is issued
• Use an instalment arrangement approved by the service provider

If the connection cost is significant, it is worth asking about the instalment option early so you can plan your budget accordingly.

Developers and development projects

For larger development projects, the process is more structured and is being integrated through the Etmam platform alongside National Water Company systems. This covers the full lifecycle of a project connection, including:

• Connection requests
• Connection-point requests
• Design plans
• Implementation-start requests
• Work handover

One important deadline to keep in mind: for approved plans and development projects, designs and execution materials must generally be submitted and the applicable fee paid within 90 working days. Missing this window can delay your project, so coordinate your engineering and payment steps in advance.

Understanding your water bills

After connection, your ongoing water bills depend on your customer category and how much you consume. To understand what to expect, use the official water-bill calculator provided by the Saudi Water Authority, which applies the current tariff to your category and consumption level. Monitoring your usage is the simplest way to keep bills predictable.

Practical tips before you apply

• Confirm your property classification and area in advance — these directly affect your wastewater fee.
• Keep your ownership or occupancy documents ready in digital form for faster processing.
• Always confirm the current, exact figures on the relevant official Saudi portal, as fees are issued only after assessment.
• Developers should track the 90-working-day design deadline closely to avoid project delays.

With the request, assessment, and payment steps now largely online, connecting water to your Saudi home is more straightforward than it used to be. Prepare your documents, choose the channel that suits you, and confirm the final figures on the official portal before you pay.

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