Ministry of Infrastructure informedthat “they receive letters regarding the rates of fees established by municipalities for the removal of liquid waste from holding tanks and settling tanks of domestic sewage treatment plants, as well as failure of entrepreneurs with permits in this respect to comply with the maximum rates specified in the resolution of municipal councils by overstating them”.
Increases in sewage disposal fees have affected, among others, Wrocław
As she described “Wrocław Newspaper“, residents who are not connected to the municipal sewage system have been paying around PLN 400 for a one-time emptying of a septic tank since August, while last year this amount was PLN 250.
Money these are divided between the Municipal Water and Sewage Company in Wroclaw and private companies that determine their own prices of its services. MPWiK does not provide direct waste collection services, and sewage companies deliver them to their catchment areas. It should be emphasized that since September the fee for the collection of one cubic meter of sewage by treatment plants from companies has also increased. The increase by as much as 44 percent translated into a fee equal to PLN 13.68 gross per meter of septic tank compared to the previous rate of PLN 9.50.
The Ministry of Infrastructure wants to regulate the issue of inflating rates
The Ministry addressed a letter to local governments. It was emphasized that they should “communicate their position on the currently applicable legal provisions contained in the Act on Maintaining Cleanliness and Order in Municipalities regarding the setting of fee rates for the collection of liquid waste from cesspools and settling tanks of domestic sewage treatment plants (…) regarding the possible need to specify the regulations in relation to entrepreneurs who inflate the maximum fee rates”.
The Ministry of Infrastructure reminded that “the upper rates of fees paid by owners real estate (…) regarding the emptying of holding tanks or settling tanks in domestic sewage treatment plants and the transport of liquid waste” should be determined by the municipal council.
Companies may have their permits to empty tanks revoked
Importantly, the ministry's letter emphasised that “if an entrepreneur who has obtained a permit for the emptying of tanks (…) and their transport does not fulfil the conditions specified therein and charges amounts higher than those provided for in the resolution of the municipal council (…), the body that issued the permit is obliged to call on the entrepreneur to immediately cease violating these conditions”.
If a company continues to violate the accepted conditions, its permit should be withdrawn without any compensation.