Who did not explain what well and what is a "water meter fee"… After a big debate broke out, it turned out that it was better to withdraw the law from consideration in the plenary hall. Voyslav Todorov, a municipal councilor from "Stand Up Bulgaria", part of the "BSP FOR BULGARIA" coalition, spoke to FACTI on the topic.
- Mr. Todorov, there will be a "water meter fee", there will be no "water meter fee". Won't the deputies stop testing the society…
- The rulers are trying to push “water meter fee“ since 2020. So far, thanks to public pressure, we have managed to stop them from finally adopting it. Last Friday, in a new pirouette, GERB deputies explained how the law did not propose a water meter fee, but it was very fair. How they did not propose it, but they will withdraw it. And how it is recorded in everyone's bills, but only those who do not live in their homes would pay it.
In the “water meter fee“ or in the newly announced 2-tier price of water, the deputies see the next step in the water reform carried out by GERB since 2015. As a result, the price of water jumped between two and three times in different areas, but the quality of water supply services did not improve. The problem of lack of water has not been solved, nor has the quality of water improved where it is not suitable for drinking, such as in Haskovo, Breznik, Shumen and hundreds of other settlements.
- Let's explain what a "water meter fee" is and why is it even being talked about?
- "Water meter fees" are actually 3 new fees that were proposed with the amendments to the Water and Sewerage Act - for access, drainage and water purification. With the amendments, these fees are due for every home regardless of whether someone lives in it or not, regardless of whether it receives water or not, regardless of whether the water it reaches is drinkable or not.
And the authorities explain this as a measure against the super-rich.
However, a lev or five lev fee will not affect the richest Bulgarians with hotels or luxury villas by the sea, but will directly hit the owners of 1.6 million empty homes in our country.
These are the owners of hereditary houses in the depopulated villages or Bulgarians abroad, who will suddenly find themselves permanently indebted to some monopolists for a service that you do not use, but which you cannot refuse. Just like with “Toplofikatsiya“.
- What is the goal of introducing a “water meter fee“?
- Purely and simply increasing the price of water and making hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians pay, even when they do not use water.
The argument that the fee would be reduced when there is a disrupted water supply is cynical. If the Water and Sewerage Service does not fulfill its obligations and leaves people on a water regime or when the water is of poor quality and unfit for drinking, how are consumers expected to fulfill their obligations and pay for water that is not available or is unfit for use?
- We hear from the deputies that “water meter fee“ will reduce the price of a cubic meter of water. Is that right …
- No, the intention is clearly different. In his statement on the withdrawal of the fee, the chairman of the regional commission in parliament clearly stated that the price of water will remain the same, but a new fee will be added to it.
Again, according to him, the water supply companies are underfunded, although the price of water has jumped by an average of 114% over the last 10 years, but this does not lead to an improvement in quality. In Pleven, the price of water jumped from 2.08 lv/cubic meter in 2015 to 5.02 lv/m3 in 2025. Nearly 2.5 times higher price. But during this period, water losses did not decrease, on the contrary, they increased by another 20%, which contributes to the ongoing crisis with water shortages in the city. In Tarnovo, the water jumped by 168%, but despite this, dozens of settlements remain without water every summer. Even in Sofia, where we are blessed with water coming by gravity, the price has more than doubled in recent years – from 1.76 in 2015 to 3.70 now without a corresponding double improvement in quality.
And now the authorities, with the announcement of the abolition of the “water meter fee“, have come up with a new way to increase the price of water – a second, more expensive tariff for consumption over 10 cubic meters per household.
Up to 10 cubic meters, the price remains unchanged, but increases from the 11th cubic meter, because, according to Nankov, people are super-rich and use this water to fill swimming pools.
And currently, Ordinance No. 4 on Water and Sewerage Services defines the standard consumption per person as 5-6 cubic meters of water per month. According to these calculations, a family of four will be punished to pay more expensive water over 10 m3, because they are super rich and wasteful.
- According to GERB, the MRDPW did not explain the topic well and it caused reactions and concerns among citizens. Is this an excuse?
- This is a pathetic attempt to get out of a situation when the reality is clear to everyone - the proposed changes are antisocial and aim only to ensure a new increase in the price of water.
- Experts say that the current pricing for water supply is extremely unfair and should not be formed on this principle. What do you think?
- Yes, the current pricing is unfair in several ways:
It is not fair for the price of water to be the same throughout the region, when for some settlements it comes by gravity, at minimal costs for the water supply company, and in others it is pumped, where it becomes additionally expensive with the consumption of electricity.
It is not fair to form the price of water in the business plans of the water supply companies without taking into account whether the criteria for water quality are met, whether it is suitable for drinking and whether it is available to consumers at all.
And it is not fair for the price of water to increase without corresponding to the quality of the service. And at the moment the price is unbearable for people and in some regions of the country it is beyond social tolerance. Regions such as Razgrad, Silistra, Shumen pay over 6 BGN/m3. In these regions, and throughout the country, people with low incomes – The energy and water poor barely manage to pay their bills. That's why “Stand Up.BG“ has been offering a reduced water price for these groups of people for the first 3 cubic meters of water per person for years.
- Do you see lobbying in favor of the water supply operators to collect more money…
- All water supply companies - state, municipal and private, benefit from the high water prices, which are approved by the KEVR with changes such as “water meter fee“ or a more expensive water price after the 10th cubic meter. This way, the unjustified revenues will become even more obvious. Without real control over costs, with greatly inflated staffing levels and a worrying failure to meet service quality indicators.
- And do you think that if a “water meter fee“ is introduced someday, this will lead to an improvement in the quality of the “water supply“ service?
- Not at all. Improving the service will only lead to tying the price to the fulfillment of quality indicators. If the water is not drinkable, it should not cost 5.01 leva, as it currently is in Haskovo. If it is not there, how does the water and sanitation operator charge 5 cubic meters of official consumption per person, as it does in hundreds of settlements?