Photo CC by KabunosekaiIn response to the Water Authority’s announcement of changes in water tariffs, ACRI states: The price of water is still too high.
At ACRI, no one was particularly excited about the Water Authority’s announcement of new water tariffs. According to Attorney Tali Nir, Director of ACRI’s Social and Economic Rights Department, “The base price of water consumption, for minimal water-saving usage, has not changed and remains too high. The minor improvements in the water consumption quota included in the tariff, when coupled with price increases for over-quota usage, mean that the vast majority of citizens may end up with water bills that will only grow.”
Attorney Nir noted that despite fierce criticism, the water tariffs do not include discounted rates to special populations, such as people with disabilities, the elderly, single mothers and others: “Water consumption (of a measured amount) is a fundamental right, and it must be made available at a reasonable cost, especially when it comes to weaker populations. Just as the price of bread and of household staples are monitored, so should water consumption of a reasonable amount be made equally affordable to all individuals.
ACRI delivered the position paper written by Prof. Yoram Avnimelech, former Chief Scientist of the Environmental Protection Ministry and a member of the State Investigative Commission on Water Management, to the relevant policy makers including the Water Authority. In his paper, Avnimelech states that the appropriate monthly quota for water usage should be 4.5 cubic meters per person.
