Brussels' main utility regulator Brugel has approved Vivaqua's plan to raise tap water prices in the capital, L'Echo reports. Prices are set to increase by 14.5% in 2023, meaning that two-people households will have to pay €43 more on their yearly water bills.
Brugel approved the planned increase on Tuesday, which Vivaqua had in the pipelines since late January. Due to a rise in maintenance costs, the company felt it had no choice but to increase tap water prices, which will also go up in the next three years, by 4.1% in 2024 and 2% in 2025 as in 2026.
However, the price hike was also a way for the company to contend with the "precarious situation" it is in, due to significant billing issues. This could result in "the European Investment Bank could ask the Brussels-Capital Region to repay early the loans contracted by Vivaqua," according to Brugel.
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In any case, Brugel has asked the water company to carry out an internal investigation regarding its financing and cost structure, as part of the price increase's approval.
