Lower Lafnitz Valley

New tariffs for water cause uproar

As a result of the new tariff regulations, many households could even face a doubling of their previous water charges.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/show999 - stock.adobe.com)

End consumers in the Lower Lafnitz Valley now have to pay twice as much for water as before. The reason for this is the water board's new tariff regulations.

At the first attempt, the necessary majority for a controversial new tariff regulation was found in the Lower Lafnitz Valley Water Board in mid-December. While end consumers fear a price increase, the water cooperatives in particular are protesting against the new tariffs and have recently passed a resolution. They criticize a basic fee that the water association wants to introduce for emergency supply pipes. These pipes ensure the supply of drinking water in the event of disruptions or water shortages at water cooperatives.

Annual basic fee for emergency supply
"In future, an annual basic fee of between 90 and 240 euros per household is to be charged for this emergency supply," it says. The water cooperatives consider this measure to be disproportionate and excessive and fear that it will undermine the cooperatives. Some mayors are also verbally combative in order to vent their anger against the decision. "The water association wants to destroy the cooperatives in order to have the sole monopoly position when it comes to the supply of drinking water," says Eltendorf's mayor Christian Schaberl, who has been criticizing the association's planned structural reform for years.

As a water association, we are the suppliers. How the municipalities distribute the costs to the end consumers is beyond us

Franz Kazinota, Obmann Wasserverband Unteres Lafnitztal

Among other things, he is also protesting about the rules for voting in the association. The member municipalities hold different shares in the association due to their size, which also affects their voting rights. Although only 8 out of 18 municipalities voted in favor of the new tariff regulations, together they accounted for 76 percent and thus the majority. In any case, those end consumers who purchase "cheaper" water via cooperatives will have to dig particularly deep into their pockets. "Punishing precisely those people who use water sparingly and then pay more basic charges than water fees is an outrage," says Schaberl angrily.

Mayor announces review
With the help of legal advisors, the head of the village now also wants to clarify whether the tariff regulations are valid. "Introducing a fee without changing the association's statutes seems questionable," says Schaberl. The water association, on the other hand, says that the agreement is correct and that the newly drafted bylaws are currently being reviewed in order to implement the structural reform. This is necessary in order to guarantee a uniform billing method for all member municipalities.