“When Water Is Remunicipalised, We All Win”

The private management of water goes against the consideration of public good that is. It is everyone’s right. Quim Pérez does not count them.

Water must be remunicipalised: it belongs to everyone!

– What are the advantages of public water?
–We could divide them into four areas: ecological, social, environmental and a very important last one: the governance of water itself; that is, how is water managed, if people are cut off, if the aquatic environment that feeds cities is preserved, if biodiversity is maintained …

When it is in private hands, economic benefit tends to be prioritized. And the price always goes up as much as possible and a little more.

– Can you give us some good examples?
– Valladolid is an important city that remunicipalised last year and is doing very well. They have also done it, in Catalonia, El Prat de Llobregat, Mataró, Manresa, Terrassa, Arenys de Munt. ..

In Barcelona, ​​it is not closed because the Agbar company has provided resources. We must also add to the above, Torrelavega (Cantabria), Ermua (Bizkaia), Arteixo (Coruña), Manacor (Mallorca), Medina Sidonia (Cádiz), Lucena (Córdoba), Teo (La Coruña) and 22 towns in Seville, according to information from Luis Babiano, manager of AEOPAS (Spanish Association of Public Supply and Sanitation Operators).

-Why is so difficult?
–Management companies have great power, such as Aguas de Barcelona (Agbar Group) and Aqualia. They concentrate the business by taking over the small companies that existed, especially in the big cities and the coast.

The mayors receive very beastly pressures, as has denounced Óscar Puente (PSOE), mayor of Valladolid.

– What are the main threats?
–The mayor of Terrassa, Jordi Ballart, even denounced death threats. When they remunicipalized the water, the software was boycotted on the first day and the population was able to be supplied thanks to the workers doing it manually.