Tax revenues

The regional water authorities each fund their activities almost solely with their own tax revenue. The management of the water system (water barriers, water quantity and water quality) is financed with the revenues of both water system levies and  pollution taxes.

A water purification levy pays for the purification of sewerage water. These tax revenues amount to a budget of almost € 2.3 billion in 2010. The total costs for this year amount to almost € 2.7 billion, which means the regional water authorities are for the most part independent of national politics and policies and economic tendencies.

Necessary investments in water infrastructure do not have to compete with other government investments. This financial foundation is arguably the best way to safeguard a sustainable water management.