A survey conducted by KS among Norwegian municipalities shows that 60 percent of responding municipalities expect water and sewage tariffs to rise between 10 and 20 percent, writes NRK.
– Interest rates are rising and price inflation is high. In addition, many large investments have been made in water and sewage, says area manager Helge Eide at KS.
In Oslo, an increase of over 16 percent is expected next year and in the years to follow. In four years, an average Oslo family will have a bill that will increase by NOK 3,500. Trondheim plans to raise the tax on water, sewage, sweeping and waste disposal by approximately NOK 1,700 for the average household, Stavanger increases by 24% for water and 12% for wastewater.
Much of the context is rising interest rates and prices, but there have also been a number of large projects in the area. Among other things, Oslo is building a new water supply which has suffered from a much discussed cost gap. The principle in this area is the so-called self-cost: the major expenses for the improvement and development of water and sewage systems are charged to the residents’ taxes.
