Water tariff and sewage charge will increase by 2.97% next year, reaching 81.07 CZK per cubic meter.

Ostrava, 28 November 2017. Severomoravské vodovody a kanalizace Ostrava is going to invest CZK 530 million into  modernisation and development of water facilities and  CZK 223 million into repairs. The Board of Directors also approved the new water tariff and sewage charge that will apply as of 1 January 2018.

Customers in the regions of Frýdek-Místek, Karviná, Nový Jičín and Opava will pay CZK 42.64 (including 15% VAT) for a cubic meter of drinking water (“the water tariff”) and CZK 38.43 (including 15% VAT) for a cubic meter of wastewater (“the sewage charge”). The year-to-year differences are CZK 1.23 (2.97%) for the water tariff and CZK 1.11 (2.97%) for the sewage charge. In total, the increase is CZK 2.34, this means 2.97% (including 15% VAT),

 “The water tariff and sewage charge include increased costs, for instance, the higher prices of raw water that is supplied by a state-owned company, higher personnel expenses or the need to finance the renewal plan and repairs water infrastructure. Thanks to our policy we have been keeping the water tariffs and sewage charges several crowns below the Czech average. The objective is to continue providing our customers with top quality services in the required scope at reasonable prices”, says Managing Director of SmVaK Ostrava Anatol Pšenička.

Almost CZK 184 million should be invested into wastewater networks and wastewater treatment plants, in line with the investment plan. Repairs will cost another CZK 101 million. Major investment projects worth CZK 183 million will focus on reconstruction of water supplies in the Moravian-Silesian Region and it is planned to invest CZK 83 million into repairs.

CZK 95 million will be invested into the backbone system that supplies drinking water – the Ostrava Area Water Network and almost CZK 33 million will be invested into scheduled repairs. For instance, the reconstruction project will continue in dewatering of sludge in the water treatment plant in Nová Ves where the filter hall will be reconstructed and the feeding pipeline (Záhumenice - Bělá) that crosses the Odra River will be reconstructed.