Alcarràs moves the entire water cycle to indirect management via concession

The Plenary of the Alcarràs City Council, in an ordinary session on September 9, 2026, approved that the integrated water cycle service be managed entirely indirectly, under the modality of a service concession. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida number 177, of September 16, 2026, edict 7704, pages 1 to 4, with the official reference CVE BOP-2026_0_177_7704. The change covers both the water supply to farmhouses and the sewerage system of the entire municipality.

The file dates back quite some time. By Plenary agreement on December 14, 2000, the modification of the management form of the water supply to move it to a concession was initially approved, and the file was submitted for public information through edicts published in BOP number 8, of January 18, 2001, and in DOGC number 3312, of January 24, 2001. That agreement, however, remained incomplete: the water service to farmhouses continued to be provided directly and, by Plenary agreement on January 30, 2003, formalized on April 9, 2003, the concession was extended to the sewerage system.

According to point 5 of the feasibility study for the new contract, the Alcarràs City Council considers that the most sustainable and efficient way to manage the drinking water supply and the sewerage system is to maintain the indirect management modality with a new service concession contract. The file has been submitted for public information with edicts in BOP number 133, of July 15, 2026, and in DOGC number 9708, of the same date, as well as on the notice board of the electronic headquarters.

A change with roots in 2000

The approved agreement distinguishes two movements. In the water service to farmhouses, the change is material, since the 2001 modification did not foresee any exclusion from indirect management. In the sewerage system, the change is formal, because when it was incorporated into the concession in 2003, the form of management was not modified.

The planned works have already been completed:

• Justification report for the change in the form of management.
• Service provision project.
• Three general provisions establishing the legal regime of the provision.

Operational risk passes to the concessionaire

The document recalls that the service has characteristics typical of an activity susceptible to economic exploitation, with the transfer of operational risk from the contracting Administration to the concessionaire and with income linked to the tariffs or considerations paid by the users. The risks assumed by the awardee are:

• Demand and the evolution of consumption.
• Operating costs and maintenance of the facilities.
• Breakdowns and delinquency.
• Obligations regarding quality and continuity of service.

Duration, regulations, and means of appeal

The contract is governed by Law 9/2017, of November 8, on public sector contracts, specifically articles 15, 29 and from 284 to 297. The duration will be calculated based on the services and, if it exceeds five years, it may not exceed the reasonable time for the concessionaire to recover investments with a return on capital; the Specifications provide for a maximum extension of 15% to restore economic balance. The processing requires a feasibility study and, if there are works, a preliminary construction and operation project.

The vote was 4 votes in favor from ERC, 3 from JXALCA and 4 against from SA-PSC. Against the resolution, which exhausts the administrative route, the following may be filed:

• Appeal for reversal before the Mayor’s Office within a period of one month.
• Contentious-administrative appeal before the Court of First Instance of Lleida, Contentious-Administrative Section, within a period of two months.

The agreement is signed by the mayor, Jordi Castany Camí, on September 14, 2026.

With this step, Alcarràs closes a process opened more than twenty years ago and unifies the entire water cycle under a single concessionaire, a decision that directly affects all users of the municipality and opens the bidding for a long-term contract with the service risk in private hands.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida, no. 177, of September 16, 2026, Local Administration - City Councils, pp. 1-4 (official reference: CVE BOP-2026_0_177_7704).