A revolution in water bills. Local governments are taking control

A draft amendment to the Act on collective water supply and sewage disposal has been published on the website of the Government Legislation Center. The new regulations are intended to restore the right to local governments to set tariffs for water and sewage, taking away the current regulatory role of the Polish Waters State Water Management.

Municipalities will take over responsibility

According to Portalsamorzadowy.pl, the Ministry of Infrastructure wants municipal councils to decide on the amount of water and sewage fees. Water and sewage companies will submit their tariff proposals to commune heads, mayors or city presidents, who will formally verify compliance with the regulations and prepare recommendations for the municipal council.

The established tariffs will be valid for a maximum of three years, but Polish Waters will still have the right to intervene in the event of increases exceeding 15%.

New progressive tariff

The project also introduces the possibility of using a progressive tariff, in which water rates will increase with water consumption. Such a system will not be mandatory, but municipalities that decide on it will be able to adjust prices to the number of people in the household based on an appropriate declaration.

Progressive tariffs aim to promote water saving and flexible pricing depending on the level of consumption. According to the project’s authors, this could help reduce water costs for lower-consuming households, while increasing costs for large users.

Controversy and criticism

However, the amendment raises mixed reactions. The president of the Polish Waterworks Chamber of Commerce, Paweł Sikorski, is afraid that progressive tariffs may negatively affect the financial situation of water supply companies and increase prices at higher consumption thresholds.

Mariusz Sowiński, president of the Municipal Water and Sewage Company in Łask, draws attention to potential complications related to the processing of tariffs. “If municipal councils are able to send tariffs to Wody Polskie, the process of approving them may be significantly longer,” he comments in an interview with Portal Samorządowy.

What next with water bills?

Changes in regulations can bring both benefits and challenges. Municipalities will gain more control over setting tariffs, which may contribute to more flexible fee management. At the same time, the introduction of progressive tariffs raises concerns about their impact on the costs and situation of water supply companies.