Infrastructure Minister Eddie Noel is due to lodge a proposition which, if approved by the States, would see the new levy come into effect from March 2018. The proposals include charging businesses £2.27 per cubic metre on 95 per cent of their water usage.
A further solid waste charge of £150 per tonne is due to be introduced within a year of the liquid charge, as the Infrastructure Department aims to raise £11.35 million to make up for budget cuts.
The department has published figures estimating that a large hotel would pay £40,039 per year under the new water charge, while it would cost a medium-sized guest house £1,442.
Meanwhile, a hair salon would pay £812, a medium-sized office £1,237 and a small coffee shop would be charged £954.
It is expected that a mid-sized hotel would have to charge guests 37p extra per room per night and a medium restaurant an extra 8p for a meal, if costs are passed on to customers.
However, Chamber of Commerce tourism and transport committee chairman Andy Jehan said that he feared the estimated cost of the charge to businesses was ‘conservative’.
