The Council of La Victoria de Acentejo will raise water rates “to address the water emergency and the rise in the CPI,” said Daniel Izquierdo (PSOE), the councillor for the area, who noted that this is the first increase in 20 years. This Thursday, Coalición Canaria (CC) condemned a 37% increase starting in November, while the municipal government estimates the rise at more than 42%.

Izquierdo stated that the council is addressing the requests from the Island Water Council of Tenerife (Ciatf). He justified the tariff adjustment at this time by highlighting the investments made to improve and renew the supply network since 2020. He pointed out that prices had not risen since 2005 and that the decision was made last February, raising the monthly fee by two euros, from more than four to over six euros.

In a statement, CC, the main opposition party in La Victoria, also denounced the PSOE’s intention to privatise the water supply, a claim that the councillor denied: “There is a file open for a possible contract with a company to carry out specific tasks and maintenance, but the service will remain public.” He explained that the local government has a feasibility study and cost structure for the service, but “no decisions have been made and there are no documents for a tender.”

The Numbers Game

According to figures provided by CC, in the words of Román Afonso, the party’s general secretary, “with the new rate”, a resident consuming 15 cubic metres every two months will see their bill increase by over five euros (from nearly 12 euros to more than 17). The average consumption of residents in La Victoria de Acentejo is about 30 cubic metres. This bracket will see an increase of over eight euros (from paying more than 22 to over 30 euros). For higher consumption, such as 45 cubic metres, “the hike will be even more outrageous,” increasing by over 22 euros (rising from nearly 34 to more than 57 euros).

In their analysis, the nationalists assert that this measure will “hit families in the municipality hard and pave the way for the privatisation of an essential service.”

Coalición Canaria emphasises that the water supply must remain public: “Only in this way can prices be controlled and access to a fundamental right, such as water, be guaranteed,” Afonso stated.

The nationalist party is calling on citizens to defend their rights. In this regard, they announced that their office will be open every Tuesday and Friday from six to half-past seven in the evening to assist residents in submitting objections against the increase, which ends on the 29th.

This is the first increase in water supply rates in 20 years, thus the price is also adjusted to the CPI.

The price of potable water in La Victoria de Acentejo did not increase during the last term (2019-2023) as the governing body decided not to implement any improvements to the network.

On May 29, 2024, the President of the Island Water Council of Tenerife declared a water emergency. Since then, “we have reported to the Ciatf regarding the losses recorded in the network and consumption in the municipality,” councillor Daniel Izquierdo explains. The state of emergency ordered by the Cabildo of Tenerife remains in effect today.

In efforts to rectify the situation with the water network, the local government member noted that “we are undertaking efforts to inspect the state of public taps and valves to minimise water loss and meet the parameters required by the Island Water Council.”

If the Drought Council does not extend the declaration, the water emergency will end at the end of October.