Lilongwe Water Board
Buy prepaid water tokens, pay a bill, find your zone office, apply for a connection and report a burst pipe in Lilongwe, with the 2026 water tariffs and fees.
- Call centre 253 (free, 24/7)
- Prepaid: K1,717 per 1,000 l
- 20 l bucket: about K34
Quick answer: Buy prepaid water tokens with TNM Mpamba (*444# or the TNM SmartApp), Airtel Money, your bank app (National Bank Mo626, Standard Bank, FDH, First Capital, Centenary), at an LWB office or an LWB vendor, using your meter number. Under the tariffs gazetted on 7 August 2026, prepaid water at home costs K1,717 per 1,000 litres (about K34 a 20-litre bucket). For faults, bills and connections call 253, free, 24 hours a day.
Pick a job
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Buy prepaid water tokens
You need your meter number. Copy it carefully: a token goes to whichever meter number you type.
Mobile money: TNM Mpamba or Airtel Money
TNM says you can pay for water with Mpamba by dialling *444# or in the TNM SmartApp. LWB also lists Airtel Money. Pick the bills or water option, choose Lilongwe Water Board, enter the meter number and amount, and the token arrives by SMS. Type the token into your meter’s keypad (CIU).
Your bank app
LWB names National Bank Mo626, Standard Bank, the FDH Mobile App, First Capital Bank and Centenary Bank.
LWB offices and vendors
Buy at any LWB office or service centre, or at an LWB vendor. Vendors LWB has named include Energem filling station (Likuni), Blue Waves at the Puma filling station (City Centre) and Alenga Traders at the Puma filling station (Area 18).
If one channel is down, use another. LWB announces outages on its Facebook page (Airtel Money and bank platforms have had problems before) and lists the channels still working. Buying power too? See our ESCOM units guide.
Pay a postpaid water bill
The same channels take postpaid bills: use your account number from the bill instead of the meter number.
Pay with Mpamba or Airtel Money, in your bank app, or at a zone office cashier. Zone offices also handle bill enquiries and complaints. Unpaid bills lead to disconnection; getting reconnected costs K10,000 once the bill is paid.
Postpaid customers pay a K700 meter reading fee. A printed statement costs K500 a page; changing the name or details on the account is free.
- Pay with
- Mpamba, Airtel Money, bank app, zone office
- You need
- Account number
- Reconnection
- K10,000
- Questions
- 253 (free)
LWB water tariffs 2026
From the Waterworks (Lilongwe Water Board) (Amendment) By-laws 2026, gazetted on 7 August 2026 (LWB PDF). LWB charges per cubic metre (1,000 litres).
- Homes and kiosksKwacha
- First 5,000 litres (5 m³)Flat minimum charge on a postpaid meterK4,562
- 5,000 to 10,000 litresPer 1,000 litresK1,234
- Above 10,000 litresPer 1,000 litresK1,717
- Prepaid meter, any amountPer 1,000 litres, flatK1,717
- LWB or community kiosk (bulk rate)Per 1,000 litres, charged to the kioskK299
- e-Madzi kioskPer 1,000 litres, with an e-Madzi cardK525
What a bucket costs. At the prepaid rate of K1,717 per 1,000 litres, a 20-litre bucket is about K34; at an e-Madzi kiosk it is about K10.50. On a postpaid meter the first 5,000 litres are a flat K4,562 even if you use less.
- Businesses and institutionsKwacha
- Commercial and industrial, first 10 m³Flat minimum, then K6,178 per m³ to 40, K6,719 aboveK28,117
- Commercial and industrial, prepaidPer 1,000 litresK6,719
- Schools, hospitals, worship, clubs: first 10 m³Flat minimum, then K4,706 per m³ to 40, K5,040 aboveK42,083
- Schools, hospitals, worship, clubs: prepaidPer 1,000 litresK5,040
- Government buildingsK42,083 minimum, prepaid K5,040Same as schools
Fees, deposits and penalties
From the same 2026 by-laws.
- FeeKwacha
- ReconnectionK10,000
- Meter testingAll meter sizesK10,000
- Meter reading feePostpaidK700
- Meter deposit, postpaid or prepaidOf the actual cost of the meter30%
- Change of customer detailsFree
- Statement printingPer pageK500
- Returned chequeK50,000
- Damaged or lost meterOf the meter, any sizeActual cost
- PenaltyKwacha
- Tampering, bypass or self-reconnection: homeK1,000,000
- Tampering, bypass or self-reconnection: kioskK1,500,000
- Tampering: commercial, industrial or institutionK5,000,000
- Stolen water, homes and kiosksPer 1,000 litres, on topK3,000
- Overheads charged on theft casesK100,000
e-Madzi: in low-income areas, LWB kiosks with e-Madzi machines let you buy water any time with a prepaid smart card, cheaper than the normal kiosk price (LWB).
Apply for a water or sewer connection
LWB does not publish a fixed connection price: it depends on the work needed at your plot.
Go to your zone office
New water applications are handled at the three zone offices (see below), or call 253 first. Take your ID and the plot details. You also pay a meter deposit: 30% of the actual cost of the meter, for postpaid and prepaid meters alike.
Sewer connection
Residents of Area 49 New Shire (sectors 5 and 6) can apply online with LWB’s sewer connection form. LWB’s sewer network covers Areas 1 (Falls), 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 (Parliament), 32, 33 (KCH), 40, 47, 48 (BNS), 49 (Gulliver and Shire) and 53 (Lumbadzi).
Report a burst pipe, leak or no water
LWB’s call centre at Madzi House (Area 3, off Likuni Road) runs 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call 253 for free. Give your area, the exact spot and a phone number. Supply interruptions are announced as ‘Madzi Notices’ on LWB’s Facebook page. Report illegal connections and meter tampering on 253 too: the 2026 penalty for tampering, bypassing a meter or reconnecting yourself is K1,000,000 for a home.
- Call centre
- 253 (free, 24/7)
- Phone
- 01 714 200
- [email protected]
- Post
- P.O. Box 96, Lilongwe
LWB zone offices
Each zone takes bill payments and enquiries, faults and new applications (LWB).
Southern Zone (Kalikuti Hotel premises): Areas 1, 2, 7, 8, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 44 and 59.
Central Zone (Area 10, behind MCA): Areas 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 31, 32, 33, 40, 46, 47 and 56.
Northern Zone (Kanengo, along the M1 before the MIM turn-off): Areas 18, 25 to 30, 49, 50, 51, 52 (airport) and 53.
- Southern
- Kalikuti Hotel premises
- Central
- Area 10, behind MCA
- Northern
- Kanengo, M1 before MIM
Lilongwe Water Board pages
Lilongwe Water Board FAQ
How do I buy LWB water tokens?
With TNM Mpamba (*444# or the TNM SmartApp), Airtel Money, Mo626, Standard Bank, FDH, First Capital or Centenary bank apps, at an LWB office or at an LWB vendor. You need your meter number.
What is the LWB call centre number?
253. It is free and open 24 hours a day.
How much is water in Lilongwe in 2026?
Prepaid water at home costs K1,717 per 1,000 litres under the tariffs gazetted on 7 August 2026, about K34 for a 20-litre bucket.
How much is reconnection?
K10,000, after you have paid what you owe.
How much does a new connection cost?
LWB does not publish a fixed price: it depends on the work at your plot. You also pay a meter deposit of 30% of the meter’s cost.
My token will not load. What do I do?
Check that the token was bought for your meter number, then call 253. Never open or tamper with the meter: the penalty starts at K1,000,000.
Is Lilongwe Water Board the same as Central Region Water Board?
No. LWB supplies Lilongwe city. Towns around it such as Dedza, Kasungu and Salima are served by the Central Region Water Board.
Related guides
Sources: Waterworks (Lilongwe Water Board) (Amendment) By-laws 2026 (Malawi Gazette, 7 August 2026), call centre, zone offices, new connections and e-Madzi pages on lwb.mw; LWB notices on its Facebook page; TNM on Mpamba water payments. Checked October 2026.
