Once again, households will have to pay more to have access to this service, which is ultimately vital…
The French have definitely not finished reaching into their wallets this year. After the recent announcement made by the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) concerning the increase in gas prices on July 1st, another item of expenditure will also see a price increase. And don’t think you can escape it, because unfortunately, this expense concerns all households, since we all use it on a daily basis.
This new pricing would be inevitable in order to continue maintaining the networks on which this resource depends. It is nothing more and nothing less than water. Although individuals and businesses are gradually consuming less water – last year, national consumption fell by 3 to 4% compared to previous years – the fact remains that“We will not be able to avoid an increase in the price of water”, said Régis Banquet, vice-president of Intercommunalités de France to our colleagues at Parisian.
And for good reason, contrary to what one might think, municipal drinking water services are not financed by our taxes, but by our consumption. Which means that if we reduce our showers or turn off our taps more, local authorities will have less revenue to maintain and renovate the distribution and sanitation networks. However, this is an essential investment. According to estimates by Intercommunalités de France, it would be necessary to invest 30 billion euros over five years.
So, to compensate for this loss of revenue, municipalities have no choice but to find financing solutions elsewhere. The first option is to increase the price of subscriptions. The Intercommunalités de France federation wants to increase the ceiling on water bills to 40%, compared to 30% today. This would make it possible to make secondary residences contribute more, which certainly consume less water, but which need larger networks, particularly for those with a swimming pool or green spaces. The other option being considered is to increase the price of water per cubic meter, which is billed to users.
This second solution has already started to be applied in some cities, such as Toulouse, which has introduced seasonal pricing for households. From June 1 to October 30, residents of the pink city and its surrounding area will see their water bill increase by 42%, or €4.40 per cubic meter, and they are not the only ones… In some municipalities in the Eure department, the increase is much higher. On February 12, the managers of the Roumois and Neubourg Plateau joint water union (SERPN) predicted a 60% increase. New rates which, whatever anyone says, will directly affect the budget of the French.