Pollença will introduce progressive rates for water

Water rates in Pollença will rise progressively according to consumption from next year. The town council will debate the new charges, designed to favour a reduction in consumption, at the next plenary meeting. Gabriel Cerdà, the councillor in charge of the environment, said that despite the changes, the water bills will actually be lower than at present in 80 percent of the cases. Homes which consume up to 25 cubic metres every two months will pay only 65 pesetas a cubic metre compared to the 75 pesetas they pay now, he said. The charge for hotels where rooms consume up to 12 cubic metres every two months will be the same. The charge for households which use between 25 and 50 cubic metres will be 98 pesetas, while above 50 cubic metres, the charge will be 130 pesetas. Shops will pay a flat rate of 82 pesetas per cubic metre. Water for swimming pools and boats will cost 130 pesetas per cubic metre. More and more councils are considering introducing progressive rates to encourage water saving, despite protests from consumer organisations.