The Riba-roja de Túria City Council has formalized a new contract with the company Veolia for the comprehensive management of drinking water supply, sewage, discharge control, and purification services within the municipality. This agreement, spanning 17 years, aims to optimize service quality, protect networks against climate change, and maintain stable costs for citizens.
The open tender process prioritized social clauses, carbon footprint reduction, and advantageous technical conditions. A key innovation is the establishment of a finalista tariff of 0.00 euros per subscriber per month, ensuring no direct economic impact on household bills. Additionally, an upfront payment of 2.3 million euros has been made to the municipal coffers for the use of facilities, supplemented by a variable annual fee estimated at over 400,000 euros in the first year, quadrupling the initial minimum amount.
Mayor Roberto Raga highlighted that the signing represents a decisive step towards a more modern water management model committed to Riba-roja's environmental future. "This contract ensures a top-quality water service for all our neighborhoods and urbanizations, protects our residents' economy without additional burdens, and provides us with investment capacity to act on our sewage and stormwater network," he stated.
Regarding sustainability, Veolia will conduct a comprehensive audit of the service's carbon footprint within the first year, with a binding commitment to reduce emissions by over 10% throughout the contract's duration. The Public Hydraulic Domain will also be strictly protected, prohibiting discharges into the river and the company assuming the payment of the corresponding fee to the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation.
The document also incorporates social responsibility clauses, such as guaranteeing staff working conditions, risk prevention plans, and the use of inclusive and non-sexist language in citizen services. The agreed work plan anticipates the presentation of technical improvement projects within three months, with structural works to be completed in the first three years of service, aligning the system with European regulatory requirements and future water challenges.
