Water prices in Feldkirchen-Westerham rise: What citizens need to know

Water prices in Feldkirchen-Westerham rise: What citizens need to know

The residents of Feldkirchen-Westerham are faced with a financial challenge, while the municipal council recently decided on a drastic increase in water prices. From November, the price per cubic meter of water will increase from 1.71 euros to 2.73 euros. This represents a significant increase of over one euro and meets both occasional consumers and households with higher water consumption.

The debate about the water fees was initiated by an expert opinion from the Bavarian municipal examination association, which showed a major deficit in water supply over the years 2020 to 2024. This deficit is due to annual depreciation that must be covered by the water price. Mayor Johannes Zistl noted that the water supply acts as a cost -covering device, which means that the income from the water fees must be regularly calculated.

causes of the price increase

The reasons for the drastic price increase are diverse. In addition to the high construction costs for the new elevator in Aschbach, increasing running costs, especially for personnel and electricity, also play a role. These additional financial burdens have forced the municipality to find a way to compensate for the deficit by 2028. This means that water prices have to be adjusted at short notice.

"We now have to decide who should bear the costs," explained Zistl. "It either affects everyone, or with high water consumption." This consideration led to various suggestions within the local council. The administration recommended that the basic fees be adjusted, which would subsequently increase the water price.

reactions and challenges

The reaction in the municipal council to the proposed changes was mixed. While some members, including Franz Bergmüller from "Pro Bürger", favored the proposal to increase the basic fees, others, like Greensrat Thomas Henties, argued that this could disadvantage households with little water consumption. Henties pleaded for small consumers not to add additional burden and instead find solutions that take all citizens into account.

Georg Schnitzenbaumer of the party -free voters expressed concerns and criticized the administration sharply. "The Situation glides from your fingers," he said, pointing out that the high construction costs during the Corona period are an essential problem. Other municipal council members also recognized the need for better cost management to minimize the financial burdens for citizens.

After intensive discussions and different opinions, however, a clear decision followed. With a majority of 20 to 2 votes, the Council voted for the adaptation of the water price to put the financing of the water supply on a solid basis. "We have to compensate for the deficits via the basic fee, since the infrastructure benefits everyone, no matter how high the consumption is," concluded Zistl.

The citizens of Feldkirchen-Westerham must therefore adapt to these price changes that will be effective from November. The new water price model is certainly a challenge, but the community sees it as necessary in order to continue to maintain care in the future. For a detailed look at this topic, the current reporting on www.ovb-online.de Read.