In its natural state water is a free resource. But it cannot be drunk in this state. Drinking water is the result of a long process during which a succession of high-value-added technical operations are used. The water is first abstracted from rivers, lakes or aquifers. Then it is treated in a water treatment plant where it undergoes numerous treatment processes - screening, flocculation, ozonation or chlorination, for instance. Finally, it has to be supplied to consumers 24/7. All in all, the production and supply of drinking water requires a comprehensive range of expertise and services. These all come at a price.

Once drinking water has been used or consumed, it has to be treated before being released back into the ecosystem or recycled in order to be reclaimed and reused for industrial or agricultural purposes. This wastewater process is essential for public health. It beaks down into several stages - screening, removing sand and oil, clarification, biological treatment etc. - and requires specialist expertise.

In addition, the wastewater treatment process also includes treating the sludge produced by the wastewater treatment plants. After its treatment within the plant, it can then be used for agricultural recycling (returned to the soil either wet, composted or dried) or even for matter reclamation (ashes or sand are used for certain types of facilities) or for producing energy from waste (by using the carbon content of the sludge).

Water services therefore comprise numerous stages and operations which generate all kinds of costs. This is why, depending on both the country and legislation, it is paid for either directly by consumers or by the public purse via taxes.

The price of water and wastewater services is set by each local authority, primarily in accordance with the conditions for abstracting and operating the resource and the complexity of the treatment processes which these generate. In addition to the cost of treating drinking water, the overall price of water also includes treating wastewater, maintaining the water mains network, billing, providing customer service etc.

Disparities in Tariffs

The price of water can vary greatly from one region to the other.

This is explained by the fact that water is a local product. It cannot be transported over long distances, as this would be too costly. One should remember that one cubic meter of water already weighs one metric ton!

However, depending on the geographical, geological or climatic conditions, local water resources vary greatly in both quantity and quality. Good quality water from aquifers usually only requires a relatively simple treatment process to become drinkable. But when drinking water has to be abstracted from waterways, which are subject to the effects of human activity, treatments are more complex and production costs are higher.

Sometimes another factor that may affect the price of water is the necessity to invest in new equipment. This may be essential in order for the production and supply of drinking water or for the collection and treatment of wastewater to meet national and international standards.

Finally, the density of the population being served is also a decisive factor. The closer people live to each other, the less expensive it is to supply drinking water and collect wastewater.