So controversial it was Water Pollution Tax (ICA) among the citizens to charge them an additional cost and considering that in Zaragoza they paid twice to purify the water while the price of the purifiers was already paid, their substitution price was not less: the Environmental tax on wastewater (IMAR).
A tax, approved in December 2021, which has generated a series of problems in its application for practically the same reasons as the ICA, as well as for how you set up payment. And to avoid these inconveniences, the Government of Aragon wants to reform what has been started work on several lines for modification throughout 2025.
Although the reform is not finalizedof the Department of the Environment of the Aragonese Executive, on which the Aragonese Water Institute (IAA) depends, a modification is envisaged in the application of this tax in order to benefit large families made up of more than five members.
It is thus a question of responding to the large families of special category and general categoryprovided that they satisfy the condition of being composed of more than five members. This change should benefit nearly 13,000 familiesaccording to data provided by the Government of Aragon to the economist
This change in tax is due to the fact that its application under current conditions negatively affects the housing of large families due to the simple fact that a large number of members of the same family unit reside in the same housing. This allows them to be taxed in payment for a good part of their consumption in the third bracket of the tariff and without having made excessive use of water.
The proposed amendment provides as follows: eliminate this third section of the rateincluded in article 20 of Law 8/2021 of December 9, so that any consumption exceeding the first tranche – which includes 0 to 6 cubic meters per month – is settled in the second.
In this way, section 3 would be removed, which includes consumption from 20 cubic meters, taxed at 1.37 euros per cubic meter. There would be the first two tranches which, now, in accordance with current legislation, are set at 0.35 euros per cubic meter for consumption between 0 and 6 cubic meters (section 1), and at 0.82 euros per cubic meter between 6 and 20 cubic meters. meters of water (section 2).
This is not the only change that could come to IMAR. It is also under study change extraordinary water consumption. This term includes all those related to pipe breakdownsin household appliances or at the counter, among other causes within which we want to collect all those that are beyond the control of users. These situations led to the payment of high bills and disproportionate amounts.
The reform of this part of the tax would aim to establish a system allowing users to correct a situation without excessive taxation. In this way it is intended simplify the procedure for accreditation of a leak or breakdown. We also want to define the term extraordinary consumption in another way. Concretely, it is planned to reduce it by three times to double usual consumption.
Currently these are the lines on which we are working and are under study, although there may be a variation up to the entire proposal for reform of this tax, already put forward by the Aragonese president Jorge Azcón during of the State of the Community Debate, is defined.
