The Regulatory Entity for Water and Waste Services (ERSAR) published today in the Official Gazette the Tariff Regulation for Water Services (RTA), through Regulation No. 1160/2026, which aims to harmonize the rules for setting water tariffs for public water supply and urban wastewater sanitation services.
The legislation establishes binding rules for tariff setting, creating a common reference framework for all state and municipal management entities. The regulation harmonizes the criteria for tariff definition, review, and update, seeking to ensure the balance between economic accessibility for users and efficient cost recovery for services.
The president of ERSAR, Vera Eiró, stated that tariff decisions have a direct impact on people's lives and on the ability of management entities to guarantee quality services, emphasizing the importance of creating common rules to reinforce transparency, predictability, and trust. The regulation was preceded by consultation with the Tariff Council and a public consultation process that received contributions from citizens, management entities, sector associations, and consumer defense organizations.
The regulation enters into force within 30 days and provides for a transition period until January 1, 2029 for management entities to adapt their tariff structures to the new rules. The definition of tariffs according to the new model should occur in the first regulatory period that begins from that date.
