the essential
This Wednesday, June 26, the desire to see the public drinking water service delegation contract be amended was unanimously voted for. This change occurs due to the context of drought which is hitting the department and will concern part of the municipalities of Carcassonne Agglo managed by the water company Suez. In this way, citizens are invited to save this resource, while promoting financial optimization via a meter.
“For several years, we have noticed a reduction in water consumption in France, we are making efforts to be sober.” When discussing the chapter on the green pact during the community council on Wednesday, June 26, Régis Banquet, president of Carcassonne Agglo, focused on the improvements observed on a national scale with regard to savings in water resources following the prolonged heatwave episodes of the summer of 2022. However, attention must not diminish.
Aude is currently experiencing a period of drought, the community is forced to amplify its actions in view of the current water situation. To do this, proposals were submitted to the assembly, including a deployment of remote reading of water meters aimed at “to control consumption”progressive pricing on an experimental basis, as well as a two-year extension of the public drinking water service delegation contract in order to “to take into account additional investments”.
Roland Combettes, vice-president of Carcassonne Agglo, clarified “that part of the municipalities of the intercommunality managed by the water company Suez is concerned and not those under the leadership of Eau Reca”. According to him, it will not be a simple amendment. He detailed: “This amendment to the contract is based on two axes, water saving and financial optimization. The implementation of smart meters will be done within two years. I would like to point out that fraud will be detected immediately. Prices will be differentiated by bands ranging from 0 to 15 m3 up to more than 150 m3 of water consumed. Communities and businesses will also have a very precise scale.”
The introduction of pricing will be effective from January 1, 2025, until 2029. Communication around the project will begin from next October. “A flat-rate water allowance will be deployed. It will be equivalent to 3 to 4% of the annual household budget”a conclu Roland Combettes.
