Jerez de los Caballeros approves the final drinking water regulations

The City Council of Jerez de los Caballeros has definitively approved the Drinking Water Supply Service Regulations for the municipality, which establish the rights and obligations of subscribers, the care of vulnerable customers, and a sanctioning regime of up to 3,000 euros. The full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz number 190, dated October 5, 2026, in announcement 3834/2026, after the public exhibition period expired without claims or allegations.

The Plenary of the City Council initially approved the regulations in an ordinary session on August 3, 2026, and the announcement of the initial approval was published in BOP number 155, dated August 14, 2026. Following the public exhibition period without allegations, the agreement was automatically elevated to definitive status in accordance with Article 49 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the Bases of the Local Regime, and is made public in compliance with Article 70.2 of the same regulation.

The regulations are structured into 12 titles and 77 articles and will enter into force the day after their definitive publication in the BOP. Against the agreement, which ends the administrative route, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura, based in Cáceres, within a period of two months. The announcement is signed by the mayor, Raúl Gordillo Barroso.

Obligations, deadlines, and service conditions

The text details the obligations of the supplying entity and the subscribers. Among them:

• Notify of scheduled supply interruptions at least 24 hours in advance.
• Respond to written claims and inquiries within a period not exceeding one month.
• Provide supply within a maximum of six business days from contracting and payment, except for justified causes.
• Guarantee the potability of the water up to the registration valve of the connection.

A property is considered to have service when distribution networks exist at a distance not exceeding 100 linear meters. Users who cannot do without water during a forced interruption must have a reserve capacity of at least 24 hours. In a drought situation, the entity may restrict non-essential consumption such as filling swimming pools, washing vehicles with a hose, or watering roadsides.

Care for vulnerability

Title 9 establishes that supply will not be suspended for non-payment for customers in a situation of economic vulnerability as long as that situation persists, provided that the municipal social services notify the supplying entity. This situation will last for one year, renewable annually, and if the communication arrives after the cut-off, restoration will be carried out at no cost to the subscriber.

The entity will promote, in agreement with the City Council, social tariffs and/or a Social Fund to settle the debt of these customers, following this order of priority:

• Concepts related to water consumption.
• Sanitation or sewerage.
• Water access costs, such as connections or service lines.
• Adaptation of the interior installation.

Sanctions and fraud regime

Infractions are classified as minor, serious, and very serious, with fines of up to 750 euros, from 750.01 to 1,500 euros, and from 1,500.01 to 3,000 euros, respectively. Anyone who commits two or more infractions of the same or similar nature within the last two years is considered a repeat offender. It is the responsibility of the City Council to initiate and resolve the sanctioning proceedings.

Title 11 defines eleven cases of fraud, including direct connection to the network, tampering with the meter, or the use of water from fire supplies for purposes other than extinguishing a fire. Once the anomaly is detected, the inspector will draw up a report and the subscriber will have 15 days to submit allegations; the settlement is calculated with a reference flow of 0.7 for the sum of Q2 and Q3 and three hours of daily consumption.

The regulation will be applicable both to contracts formalized hereafter and to those already existing at the time of its entry into force, such that the subscribers of Jerez de los Caballeros will see the conditions for contracting, billing, suspension, and claiming the water service updated.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz, No. 190, October 5, 2026, Local Administration, pgs. 1-40 (official reference: Announcement 3834/2026).