Water Meter 2016-2017 Drinking water production and distribution in figures www.vmm.be DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Title Water Meter 2016-2017 Compiler WaterRegulator (Flemish Regulation Authority) Summary This report provides a statistical overview of drinking water production and supply in Flanders from source to tap. Referencing method Flanders Environment Agency (2017), Water Meter 2016-2017 - Drinking water production and distribution in figures Publisher Michiel Van Peteghem, VMM Questions concerning this report Flanders Environment Agency Dokter De Moorstraat 24-26 9300 Aalst Tel: 053 72 62 10 [email protected] Photography VMM archive, Shutterstock.com Depot number D/2017/6871/002 //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 2 - Water Meter 2016 - 2017 - Drinking water production and distribution in figures WATER METER IN A NUTSHELL 100 % public shareholder 9 3 water million companies subscribers 360 3,4% 84 100 million m³ more invoiced m³ annual litre invoiced water consumption consumption for drinking water in 2015 in 2015 vs 2014 an average family per person per day 100 % quality guaranteed € 4,5 € 1,9 € 2,6 per m³ per m³ per m³ (incl. 6% VAT) drinking water waste water op 1/1/2016 treatment 62 82 171 1 603 thousand km water water towers million m³ million € pipe lines production storage capacity turnover from centers water sale //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 3 CONTENTS Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 Characteristics of the drinking water supply in Flanders .....................................................................................................................7 Organisation of the drinking water supply in Flanders ...........................................................................................................7 Legal form of water companies .............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Alliances between water companies ..................................................................................................................................................10 Synductis .......................................................................................................................................................................................................10 Coordinating structures .............................................................................................................................................................................10 Belgaqua ........................................................................................................................................................................................................10 AquaFlanders ..............................................................................................................................................................................................10 Other activities .................................................................................................................................................................................................11 Regulatory framework for the drinking water supply ............................................................................................................11 Local authorities ..........................................................................................................................................................................................11 Provincial authorities ...............................................................................................................................................................................11 Regional government (Flemish Region) ............................................................................................................................................12 Federal government (Belgium) ................................................................................................................................................................12 European government .................................................................................................................................................................................12 Distribution areas and infrastructure of water companies ...............................................................................................................13 Evolution of the number of water companies .............................................................................................................................13 Specifications of distribution areas .....................................................................................................................................................14 Infrastructure of drinking water supply ..........................................................................................................................................15 Process benchmark ........................................................................................................................................................................................18 Drinking water balance: from source to tap .................................................................................................................................21 Drinking water chain from source to tap...................................................................................................................................21 Water production .....................................................................................................................................................................................22 Water balance sheet ...............................................................................................................................................................................26 Water distribution and water sale ................................................................................................................................................28 Drinking water quality ..............................................................................................................................................................................38 Quality in the distribution network .............................................................................................................................................39 Quality at the tap .....................................................................................................................................................................................39 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................................................................................................39 The price of mains water .......................................................................................................................................................................................40 Integral water invoice.................................................................................................................................................................................40 Uniform pricing structure ........................................................................................................................................................................40 Families ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................40 Businesses .......................................................................................................................................................................................................41 The integral water invoice of an average family with an average consumption ..............................................42 Evolution of the integral water invoice of an average family .......................................................................................44 Relativity of the evolution of the integral water invoice ................................................................................................48 Share in total consumption of a family ............................................................................................................................................51 Share in the disposable income of different income groups ...............................................................................................52 Tariff plans and tariffs for production and distribution of mains water (drinking water component) ...55 Regionalisation of the price control for drinking water ..................................................................................................55 Transitional measure for 2016 ...........................................................................................................................................................55 4 - Water Meter