VALENCIA is Spain’s most expensive city for water with charges of €36.51 per 13 cubic metres, according to consumer group Facua.
They surveyed rates in 57 cities in 2022, with Murcia coming second-highest at €34.40 per 13 cubic metres.
Leon was the cheapest city but also produced the biggest price increase last year of 8.9%.
Facua general-secretary, Ruben Sanchez, said the differences between the most expensive and the cheapest city tots up to a staggering 435%.
“Rates cannot be the same everywhere as it depends on the uniqueness of each locality in terms of supply facilities or water scarcity.” he admitted.
“Another factor is the quality of the water meter which the supplier decides on without the customer able to make that decision,” Sanchez added.
Facua wants municipalities to adopt a progressive pricing system that better reflects household consumption by the number of people that live there.
In that way, the group believes excessive consumption can be charged in a more realistic and fair way.
“High consumption in households where few people reside could be an indication of water wastage that should be penalised and be more expensive than the high consumption of a household in which many people reside,” observed Ruben Sanchez.
“A tariff system that contemplates this type of issue is more equitable for citizens and also allows savings to be rewarded with more affordable rates,” he suggested.