Public water company proposes 33% price hike due to drought

The public water company that supplies more than 90% of Catalan residents has proposed a 33.7% rate increase from January 2023. 

The board of directors of Aigua Ter-Llobregat (ATL) announced an increase to its average rate on Tuesday, which would see a rise from €0.74 to €0.99 per cubic meter. 

The move has to be validated this afternoon by the Ter-Llobregat Network Council and the Catalan Water Agency. 

The rate increase would amount to one euro per person per month, although the final amount may vary, depending on each municipality. 

Following a price freeze that has been in place since 2017, ATL cited various reasons for this new increase: among them, the ongoing drought, the price of electricity and the cost of using desalination plants. 

End users may not bear brunt 

The Catalan government suggested that end users may not have to pay the increase in full. 

Presidency Minister Laura Vilagrà said the rise is affected by the amount of money local councils have to pay. The councils then set the rates for consumers. 

Vilagrà assured the public that they are working with local councils so that citizens, "especially the most vulnerable," are affected as little as possible.