3 million a year paid to the general budget of the city

The Mayor of Toulouse, Pierre Cohen (PS), announced yesterday have negotiated with Veolia a decrease in the price of water from 25 in 2010, following an audit, and in exchange for the maintenance of the contract of delegation to completion in 2020. Users will benefit in the second half of a decrease in their bill of water and sanitation of 12.5, sanitation prices are not changing. Will "the urban community, which took the jurisdiction of the water, to deliberate on 12 February", said the Mayor and President of the greater Toulouse in the wishes to the press. "Price per metre cube of water and sanitation consumed in 2010 fall 42 cents from the current rate of 3.37 euros TTC, said Nicolas Tissot, Deputy Mayor responsible for public services. Without this decline, Veolia would have an income of EUR 71 million over the term of the contract, according to the audit. "The decline will only concern Toulouse users because the contract covers the city centre.

Entry fee and charge

Pierre Cohen does not wish to municipaliser the water before the end of the contract, by 2020, due to the costs generated by an anticipatory breach. "The other option would be to break the contract in 2015 as allows it jurisprudence, he explained.". But in this case, the tariff decrease from 10 to 12 according to the audit, the investments of EUR 20 million to make. And the city would most perceive the fee of EUR 6 million per year paid by Veolia.

This position does not satisfy the water rescue 31 association seeking a rapid remunicipalization. "The city should pay a dispute estimated at between 9 and 40 million euros to Veolia for breach of contract," said Nicolas Tissot. In 1990, former Mayor Dominique Baudis, granted to the water general contract of delegation of thirty years in exchange for the payment of an entrance of 67 million euros and a royalty fee on water and sanitation of 6.3 million a year paid to the general budget of the city. In return, Veolia has increased the rate of the water by 75 since 1990, while inflation was 42, according to Nicolas Tissot. The entry of the delegate fee allowed City Hall to get out of debt and to assert its good management of public finances.

Progressive tariff

But this disguised tax has long been criticized by the Toulouse left. Elected in March 2008, the new municipality of left commissioned three audits technical, legal and financial firms Merlin, Matharan and finance Consult. "They are that it will be difficult to attack certain contractual clauses because the responsibility is shared with the Town Hall, who co-signed the contract, and because it was legal in 1990, said Pierre Cohen." While conducting his futures contract, we immediately get a lower prices for users. "The Town Hall wants to introduce in 2010 or 2011 a progressive rate that increases with the consumption incentive to conserve water.

Beyond the case of Toulouse, the urban community (670,000 residents) wants to develop the public management of water in relying on the existing authorities of Colomiers, Tournefeuille and Cugnaux and collectivizing management whenever the contract of a commune comes to end. It will also launch an audit on the contract of Saint-Orens with Lyonnaise des Eaux.