The water bill will rise between 11.5% and 15% in Barcelona and its metropolitan area, mainly due to the increase in electricity costs derived from the drought, which has led to greater use of desalination plants, regenerated water and other extra costs, such as reagents or more personnel. Specifically, in the city the increase will be 11.5% while in other municipalities in the metropolitan area the increase will be close to 15%. This was indicated by Martín Gullón, director of the Water Cycle of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB). This corresponds to the 23 municipalities served by Aigües de Barcelona.
Gullón indicated that the user will notice an increase of about 2.5 euros per month per family unit or subscriber, which translates into 5 euros on the bill (bimonthly); However, this is an example for a standard invoice of 48.46 euros. And logically, the more water is used, the more this increase will be noticeable in absolute terms.
The main reason for the rise in water prices (the highest in recent years) is the increase in the cost of water service in the strict sense: the cost of producing drinking water. It was already reported a few weeks ago that the large company that supplies high-pressure water to the municipalities (Aigües Ter-Llobregat) would sell its resources 30% more expensive to the municipalities, and now it has been specified how all this increase will affect the end customer. .
The component of the bill that corresponds to the water supply in the strict sense will increase by 25.8% but the total amount of the bill will increase less because it includes other concepts that are not going to increase (such as the water fee or the rate waste treatment).
In Barcelona, ??as there are more taxes, this makes the total increase 11.5%, but in other locations (also served by Aigües de Barcelona), which have fewer concepts outside the water cycle, the increases will be greater: 15%. % in l’Hospitalet, 15% in Cerdanyola, 14% in Begues, 14% in Castelldefels, 14.9% in Sant Adrià or 14% in Sant Climent del Llobregat.
Martín Gullón has indicated that “the current drought situation causes a need to raise rates, because companies have a significant cost of purchasing water and energy costs have increased.”
Next week the Barcelona Metropolitan Area will approve the new rates and at the end of February the costs could begin to be passed on so that the new March invoice is available, Gullón estimated.
Given this increase, Gullón has pointed out that there will be an increase in vulnerable families that take advantage of the social bonus.
The public company of the Generalitat, responsible for the production and sale of high-pressure water, has given various reasons for making water more expensive. ATL invoked the high cost of electricity as well as the review of its electricity rates, all of which has been a burden that decisively affects the operating expenses of the desalination plants, which have had to operate at full capacity continuously. because of the drought.
Currently, 33% of the resources supplied to the 23 municipalities served by Aigües de Barcelona come from the El Prat desalination plant.
While the water from the Ter River that transports the artery from Cardedeu to Barcelona descends by gravity, the desalination plants involve high energy consumption.
In addition, there have been increases in personnel and operating costs, including reagents, necessary to treat water at source of poorer quality and in which the purification processes must be extreme.
Likewise, there has been an increase in the CPI, which also affects the raw materials necessary for purification treatments.
In the specific case of the 23 municipalities served by Aigües de Barcelona, ??the costs derived from the Sant Joan Despí water treatment plant also have a very important impact, which has also suffered increases in energy and treatment costs.
Likewise, the drought has forced various hydraulic works to be carried out, more personnel have had to be hired, there have been more personnel and maintenance costs, and computer systems have had to be improved to face threats in terms of cybersecurity, according to the AMB.
The case of El Prat de Llobregat is different because it supplies water with a municipal company and the effect of the ATL price increase is smaller (as it has more of its own resources). The bill will rise by 10%, which amounts to 1.4 euros per month per family unit or home subscriber.
Gullón indicated, on the other hand, that an increase in families benefiting from the social rate is expected because “there are people who are no longer able to pay for water.”
In the area of ??Aigües de Barcelona (1.4 million subscribers) there are around 60,000 registered families benefiting from the social rate, and it is expected that this figure may reach 100,000 units.
Now, the AMB discounts 100% of the fixed fee of the first tranche (up to 6 m3/month) and the second tranche (up to 9 m3/month) for families with unemployed members, who receive the minimum pension or other situations. of vulnerability.
The AMB maintains pricing based on the five consumption blocks to encourage “more responsible” consumers. The result is that the more water each user uses, the more they pay for each cubic meter. The cost per cubic meter for a domestic consumer who consumes very high water consumption can be up to 5 times higher than for a consumer who consumes moderate water.
Gullón has also explained that the AMB will meet next week with the municipalities to establish coordinated joint criteria on how to act in the face of drought, and that the first measure considered is to reduce water pressure.
The intention would be to concentrate this type of actions in the areas that are consuming more water than the amount set by the Generalitat. The Agència de l’Aigua has established (for the pre-emergency phase) a maximum of 210 liters per person per day, while in the metropolitan area the average consumption is 170 liters per inhabitant per day. There is, therefore, a margin but there are specific areas (neighborhoods or areas) with higher consumption, and action should be taken on them as a priority, he said.
In addition, he has specified that the AMB has the power to apply sanctions if it detects non-compliance, and studies the possibilities to act against uncivil attitudes, although he has not given details.
