Ombudsman Diana Kovacheva

Diana Kovacheva was born in Sofia in 1975. She graduated in law from Sofia University "St. Kliment sent to the regional minister arch. Ivan Shishkov a negative opinion on the new Draft Law on Water Supply and Sewerage published for public discussion, reported the press center of the department.

"The project does not protect the rights and interests of users of plumbing services.

In this regard, it is necessary to substantially revise it," writes Prof. Kovacheva.

The ombudsman is categorical that the Project reasserts the dominant state administration in the water supply sector, where a separate territory, which coincides with the administrative area, has one Association and one water supply operator, with a single price for water supply services.

Prof. Kovacheva warns that the rights and interests of users are not protected in it.

"According to the Strategy for the Development and Management of Water Supply and Sewerage in the Republic of Bulgaria 2014 - 2023, the "quality for money" goal will be considered achieved when Bulgarian water and sanitation companies achieve indicators of efficiency and quality of services comparable to good European practices , and this led to public satisfaction with services and prices.

It is not clear from the Project how the price of water will be tied to the fulfillment of the quality indicators.

The new Commission will approve only the prices of plumbing services, business programs and control over the implementation of quality indicators remain outside its competence," the public defender wrote.

Diana Kovacheva

Diana Kovacheva was born in Sofia in 1975. She graduated in law from the Sofia University "St. Kliment points out that the control for the implementation of the water quality indicators will be carried out by the Ministry of Water Quality, but it is not clear why these indicators have been reduced from 15 only up to 3 - total water losses in the water supply systems and deadlines for their reduction, operational performance indicators, financial performance indicators. 

The Ombudsman: The price of water is on the edge of social tolerance

In his opinion, the ombudsman emphasizes that he is categorically against dropping important quality indicators such as the quality of drinking water;

the level of water service coverage;

continuity of water supply;

water supply system failures and sewage system failures.

"There are no changes in determining the social affordability of water service prices.

In this way, some unreliable data, as determined by the NSI, will once again determine the water price threshold," the public defender also points out.

Prof. Kovacheva does not find an answer as to why the Project lacks a definition of the term "vulnerable consumers" and accordingly no amendments are foreseen in the Social Assistance Act.

"Here I want to remind you that at the end of 2019, the National Assembly assigned the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works to prepare and announce for public discussion a draft Law on Water and Sewerage that would guarantee a long-term solution to the problems in sector, including social affordability of water service prices and the introduction of water subsidies.

In the project proposed for public discussion on 26.10.2020, there were no water aids foreseen, as well as in the current Project," the ombudsman emphasizes.

It urges to discuss and adopt a mechanism to help people who are water poor, especially since access to drinking water is part of the right to an adequate standard of living recognized by the UN General Assembly.

"I want to remind you that the World Health Organization recommends determining the minimum amount for one person, necessary to satisfy the basic water needs of the population," emphasizes Diana Kovacheva

Diana Kovacheva was born in Sofia in 1975. She graduated in law at Sofia University "St. Kliment.

She also draws attention to the fact that the control over the implementation of the business programs by the water and sanitation operators is intended to be carried out by them themselves, there is no independent body foreseen for this.

"The uniform price of plumbing services in a designated area remains, regardless of the way the service is provided, which makes the price economically unjustified given the costs of its delivery," the ombudsman also emphasizes.

Diana Kovacheva

Plumbing