Content
Published:
This is an archived release.
Polluters must pay
The municipal regulation related to water and wastewater fees recommends that the municipalities follow the polluters pay principal and that those who use the services pay for the costs of the wastewater services. Consistently more municipalities follow this recommendation. In 2000, 100 [corrected 16.11.01] per cent of the costs in the municipal wastewater sector were covered by fee income.
In 2000, the municipal wastewater sector had costs of NOK 4.01 billion[corrected 16.11.01]. During the same time period, the wastewater fee income was NOK 4.02 billion kroner. On a nation-wide basis, this results in a cost coverage of 100 per cent [corrected 16.11.01] paid by the users.
A large variation between the municipalities remains. In particular, a few smaller municipalities subsidize their wastewater sector. The ratio of fee income to costs is called "the financial cost coverage" ratio. The average financial coverage in Norwegian municipalities was 91 per cent [corrected 16.11.01] in 2000 (all municipalities are weighted equally). 19 per cent of the municipalities had a financial coverage ratio of up to 60 per cent and in 20 per cent [corrected 16.11.01] of the municipalities the ratio was over 110 per cent.
The clearest trend during the period 1994-2000 is the steadily decreasing number of municipalities with either very high or very low cost coverage ratios. The figure shows the number of municipalities with financial coverage ratios in the interval 61-110 percent.
Reduction in investments
After two years with high levels of investments, investments fell in the year 2000. Final figures show investments of NOK 1.76 billion on a nation-wide basis. This is a reduction of 10 per cent compared with the previous year.
On a nationwide basis, 71 per cent of all investments were made in sewer lines. At a more detailed geographic level there are large differences in the pattern of investment. The figure shows gross investment for the year 2000 at the county level divided according to type of investment.
Large differences in fees continue
There continues to be large differences in the wastewater fees charged by the different municipalities. In particular the connecting fees have a large variation. For a standard dwelling of 120 m2 the wastewater connection fees vary from 0 to 80 200 kroner (highest fee rate charged in a non-developed area). The average connection fee was 13 046 kroner in 2001.
In 2001, the annual wastewater fee varied between 492 and 7 350 kroner per subscriber. The average is 2 176 kroner but most of the fee levels in the municipalities were between 1 000 and 3 000 kroner.
The different fees charged have increased in differing degrees. The average connection fee has increased by 2 per cent, whereas, the average annual wastewater fee has increased by 5 per cent.
New municipal reporting for wastewater data
Statistics Norway has given out economic statistics for the municipal wastewater sector from 1993 until the current reporting year, inclusive. This year's statistics differ from previous years' because half of the municipalities in the country have reported via the new electronic reporting system, KOSTRA, while the other half have reported via the county level environmental officer according to the previously established reporting channel. Different questionnaires and reporting formats appear to have influenced the reported values to some degree. This would result in a slight increase in the uncertainly of this year's figures than in earlier years and the comparability can be somewhat worse. From next year all municipalities will report via the new KOSTRA system, this will strengthen the quality and comparability of the reporting from the municipalities.
Tables:
- Table 1 Total annual costs, according to type of cost. Country. 1994-2000. Billion NOK
- Table 2 Total annual costs, according to type of cost. County. 2000. Million NOK
- Table 3 Total annual costs per subscriber. Cost coverage ratio in percent. 1994-2000
- Table 4 Average annual fee per m³ wastewater and average fixed annual fee (120 m²). Country/region. 1994-2001. Kroner
- Table 5 Average fees. All municipalities are given the same weight. 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 og 2001. Kroner
- Table 6 Wastewater treatment fees. Municipal figures. 2000. Kroner
- Table 7 Gross investments and planned investments. Country. 1993-2000. Fixed 2000-kroner
- Table 8 Gross investment, planned investment, and investment pr. subscriber. Regional and county figures. 2000
- Table 9 Investment in the municipal wastewater sector. According to category of investment. Regional and county figures. 2000. Million kroner
- Table 10 Investment, costs, income, income-to-cost ratio and subscribers. Municipal figures. 2000
- Table 11 Gross investment. County. 1993-2000
- Table 12 Gross investment pr subscriber. County. 1993-2000