please give some more background

running a pre-school like a play group, nursery, junior and senior KG is a commercial activity 

but you can easily procure potable drinking water at residential rates from water distributors 

private pre school is a commercial activity and you have to pay commercia;l charges for water consumed by children 

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and MSEDCL/BEST classify private, fee-charging preschools and playgroups as commercial/non-residential activities. Running one in a residential property typically attracts commercial property tax rates and LT-2 commercial electricity tariffs. You may not have to pay full commercial water charges for children's drinking and utility water.

Pre-primary classes, including nurseries, kindergartens, balwadis, and creches, are specifically classified alongside residential and recognized educational premises. Instead of paying high commercial tariffs, metered pre-primary premises are billed at the concessional/educational rate (around ₹6.36 per kilolitre / 1,000 litres).

Dear Sir/Madam,

A preschool is not automatically liable for the general commercial water tariff. BMC Water Charges Rules place recognised educational institutions and pre-primary classes such as kindergartens, nurseries and crèches operating in residential premises under a concessional category.

However, if it operates from separate commercial premises or lacks the required recognition, BMC may levy non-domestic charges based on the actual use of the premises. Drinking water used by children is not separately classified.

Submit the preschool recognition, approved user documents and water bill to the concerned BMC Hydraulic Engineer and request correction if commercial charges have been wrongly imposed.

Advocate Saurabh Agrawal