Take care of the Garonne when it needs it most. When in summer or early autumn, in periods of drought, it reveals its pebbles because its level is alarming and the Pyrenean dams have to be emptied to keep it “under perfusion”. This is the principle of “seasonal water pricing” which is scheduled to come into force on June 1 in the 37 municipalities of Toulouse metropolitan area, if it is adopted this Thursday by the metropolitan council.
Why this change?
The announcement of this measure was made on December 1, 2023 by Jean-Luc Moudenc (various right) and the mayor of the Pink City and president of the metropolis. “Without impacting the bill paid throughout the year by users, the aim is to adjust the price to encourage consumption adapted to the season and preserve the resource: cheaper in winter, when there is no shortage of water , more expensive at the height of summer when water becomes scarce,” the councilor then explained on social networks. In this he followed the opinion delivered in November 2023 by the Economic and Social Environmental Council (Cese) which decided in favor of a “seasonal rate” to the detriment of a “progressive rate” which consists of making the most expensive people pay more per cubic meter. large consumers. The latter solution would be ideal, but it is utopian in a country where half of homes are not equipped with an individual water meter. This rate rises to 70% in the Toulouse metropolis.
What are the prices retained?
In 2023, based on a consumption of 120 m3 per year for a household of three people and a classic subscription, Toulouse residents paid 3.34 euros including tax per cubic meter. Having become seasonal, the price must increase by 42% from June 1 to October 31 and decrease by 30% the other seven months of the year. According to the community’s calculations, at constant consumption for a household of three people, the novelty will result at the margin in a tiny increase of “60 cents” in the average annual bill of around 400 euros. While for a family which has a swimming pool and a garden, it could increase by 83 euros to 904 euros.
Why does the date June 1 raise eyebrows?
However, in favor of “solidarity and environmental pricing”, the elected representatives of the Métropole ecologist opposition group will try this Thursday to have a wish adopted postponing the measure to January 1, 2025. Because, they believe, “by starting the measure on the 1st June, all subscribers in the metropolis will pay more for water in 2024.”
“In a linear fashion, starting in January for the same consumption, they would have paid the same. But starting in June, they will pay at the normal rate for the first five months, then at the increased rate for the following five months and at the reduced rate only for the last two,” explains Sophie Boubidi, elected environmentalist from Colomiers. According to his calculations, this will represent an automatic increase in the 2024 bill of 13% in 2024, which the executive does not deny.
This bonus is estimated at 12 million euros. “But it will be one-off, it will not happen again in 2025,” puts Robert Medina, the vice-president of the metropolis in charge of water and sanitation, into perspective. “And even with that, water will be cheaper in Toulouse than in most major cities. »
Jean-Luc Moudenc defends a “voluntarist” policy rather than “standstill”, at the start of a summer which promises to be complicated since the lack of snow in the Pyrenees has prevented the dams from sufficiently recharging. “We think there are behaviors that will change,” he said.
What are the effects for the Veolia delegatee?
For Veolia, the water delegate, the operation will be meaningless. Indeed, as this seasonal pricing is not provided for in the contract signed in 2020, the community will have to compensate for any resulting financial effects. For environmentalists, the pot of 12 million euros could then serve as a compensation fund, even if the majority believe that this will not be necessary. In any case, if Toulouse residents are generally more economical with water, the Garonne will gain but Veolia will lose nothing.