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Berlin (German news agency) – Germany’s water suppliers warn that drinking water could become more expensive for consumers. The reason for this is a regulation planned by the federal government that will convert EU law into German law.
“With the drinking water catchment area ordinance, we and consumers are facing significant additional expenses in the high three-digit million range,” said Karsten Specht, Vice President of the Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU), the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Wednesday edition). With the ordinance in its current form, “official tasks would be shifted to the water suppliers”. The plans are “too expensive, too vague and too bureaucratic”. The EU Drinking Water Directive requires the mandatory introduction of a risk-based approach from the source to the tap. The traffic light coalition is implementing this for the catchment areas of drinking water production via a corresponding new ordinance, but is in default with this. The EU Commission has therefore initiated infringement proceedings against the Federal Republic. The draft ordinance means additional control and reporting obligations for suppliers. “Contradictory requirements and tasks that cannot actually be carried out cause us great concern,” said VKU Vice President Specht.
“Clear improvements are needed. The municipal water suppliers largely reject the present draft ordinance.” The VKU represents more than 1,500 municipal companies in the fields of energy, water and waste water, among other things. The members of the VKU supply around 90 percent of all residents in Germany with drinking water.