Our Publications

EurEau is pleased to present our data survey, covering both drinking and waste water services in Europe. It includes national technical, economic and managerial data ranging from population connection rates to drinking water supply to waste water treatment levels to prices and governance. The results testify the diversity of the sector. They also show some of the immediate challenges our sector is facing, particularly regarding investment needs.

2017 edition.

Customers and citizens need a much greater understanding of the value of water, including water pricing policies and the governance of water services, namely which players are involved, who takes the decisions on how water services are managed and who is responsible for what. Achieving this will help ensure access to safe and sustainable water today and tomorrow.

Clean water is a prerequisite for ensuring environmental and public health and prosperity. To achieve this we need better EU policy coordination.

Decreasing water consumption is an economic challenge for water and waste water operators, since most of their costs are fixed but their income is closely linked to consumption. Given that 60-80% of the costs are fixed, measures should guarantee that all fixed costs are recovered, for example by a better tariff structure.

The Fertiliser Regulation opens the door to using recovered phosphorus from sewage sludge in fertiliser products. Including treated input materials from waste water treatment plants as a component in fertilisers promotes recycling and is better for the environment.

Glyphosate is routinely found in raw water resources across Europe. We support measures taken to control the concentrations of this chemical in surface waters and in urban run-off. It is vital that consumers across Europe have access to safe drinking water. We need access to clean water resources that are free from contaminants such as microplastics and micropollutants. This protects the environment, and consumers from additional costs.

This briefing summarises different EurEau position papers on cost recovery for water services, water charges, investment capacity and affordability mechanisms. Furthermore the current relevance of the tariff setting is described. The original EurEau papers are referenced in Annex I.

The UN officially acknowledged the human right to water and sanitation. To realise this right, water and sanitation must be available, accessible, affordable, acceptable, and safe. EurEau members provide consumers with water that meet some of the world’s strictest standards, every day. Pricing policies and affordability mechanisms play a fundamental role in this.

Water is life. But these services have a cost that is covered by the water bill. In case citizens (domestic households), cannot afford to pay their bill, laws or contract agreements foresee measures to allow both customers and water services to maintain the service provided. This document summarises the procedures in place in EurEau members’ countries.

Banning amalgam will help sludge from waste water treatment meet the quality standards to be reused in fertilisers, improving the environment.