The charges for public water supply and sewerage services will increase in a number of localities in the country, including in the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti, following the decisions adopted by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (NAER). The new charges were set after analyzing the costs incurred by the operators, IPN reports.
According to the Agency, the adjustments are necessary in order to cover the actual operating costs of companies that provide drinking water supply, sewerage and wastewater treatment services, to avoid interruptions and allow investments to replace old infrastructure. It accepted only those expenses that comply with the methodology in force, excluding unauthorized investments, excessive losses or unjustified energy consumption.
In the municipality of Balti, household consumers will pay 26.96 lei per cubic meter of water, up from 18.59 lei previously. Although the operator “Apa-Canal Balti” asked for a higher charge, the NAER rejected the costs considered unjustified.
In the case of “Acva Nord” company, which ensures the transportation and distribution of water, the charge was set at 6.09 lei per cubic meter, compared to 4.05 lei until now. The increase reflects the rise in energy prices and operating expenses in the context of a restructuring plan approved by the regulator.
For Hancesti district, the NAER approved total expenses of 17.16 million lei for the services provided by the company “Operatorul Regional Apa-Canal Hancesti”. A sum of over 1.4 million lei was eliminated from the budget that was initially requested by the company, as expenses that are not directly related to the regulated services.
In the municipality of Chisinau, the charge for drinking water is 12.99 lei per cubic meter, and for sewerage – 5.63 lei. The new rates were approved by the NAER on March 18.
