Struggles with water expenses persist in vulnerable households
In a bid to promote fairness and accessibility, policies are being advocated that ensure affordable and sustainable water tariffs for all families, alongside investments in infrastructure that guarantee an efficient water supply. However, the implementation of these regulations is not consistent across all 13 Autonomous Communities in Spain.
The crux of the issue lies in the lack of clarity regarding the identification of consumers vulnerable for economic reasons. It is the responsibility of the municipalities, Autonomous Communities, and the Ministry to establish regulations for identifying such consumers in water billing.
The municipalities are urged to urgently modify their ordinances to offer a social bonus or tariff for the water supply that complies with the current regulations. In some regions, such as Andalusia, La Rioja, Murcia, and Valencia, there is no type of bonus or exemption for any collective, leaving many vulnerable families struggling to pay their water bills.
To facilitate the application of this social tariff, it would be necessary for the Autonomous Communities and the Ministries involved to agree on mechanisms that would automatically apply this social tariff to those who are already beneficiaries of the electric social bonus. This would streamline the process and ensure that those who need it most are not left behind.
In some Autonomous Communities, such as Aragon, Cantabria, Catalonia, and Castilla - La Mancha, there are broader collectives that can benefit from bonuses, but not to the extent as the Royal Decree 3/2023 contemplates. Meanwhile, in regions like Asturias, Baleares, Galicia, Extremadura, and Navarra, there is some type of bonus, but the scope is far from the breadth of beneficiaries that the electric social bonus offers.
The goal is to reduce the economic gap and guarantee the fundamental right to access to drinking water for all, without this representing an unsustainable burden for the most vulnerable families. Aid to pay the water bill for certain collectives is scarce, barely publicized, and represents a significant effort for both the consumer and the municipality or concessionary companies in managing documentation.
It is crucial that all regions work towards implementing these regulations uniformly to ensure that no one is left behind in the quest for affordable and sustainable water supply. The ultimate aim is to provide relief to vulnerable families and guarantee the right to clean water for all, without putting an undue burden on them.
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