Santpedor definitively approves the municipal water service regulation.

The Santpedor City Council has definitively approved the Regulation governing the municipal water supply service of Santpedor. The text, published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona (BOPB) on 30 July 2026 with code CVE 202610125600, establishes the legal regime of the service and includes a chapter on infringements and penalties affecting all subscribers in the municipality. Definitive approval comes after no objections were submitted during the public information period.

The Plenary of the corporation, at its ordinary session of 14 April 2026, agreed to the initial approval of the regulation, which was then subjected to public information for thirty business days. The notice was published on the e-Notice Board on 28 May, in the BOPB with code CVE 20260099137 on 5 June, in the newspaper Regió7 on 29 May, and in the Official Gazette of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC) No. 9679 on 4 June. Since no claims or suggestions were submitted, the initial approval was elevated to definitive without the need for a new plenary agreement.

The regulation, processed under file X2025004150 and signed by the mayor Agustí Comas Guitó on 22 July 2026, contains 100 articles distributed across eight titles, in addition to transitional, repealing and final provisions.

A renewed legal framework

The regulation is based on the municipal powers in matters of water supply recognised by Law 7/1985, of 2 April, regulating the bases of local government, Legislative Decree 2/2003, of 28 April, approving the consolidated text of the Municipal and Local Government Law of Catalonia, and Legislative Decree 3/2003, of 4 November, consolidated text of water legislation in Catalonia, as well as Royal Decree 140/2003, of 7 February, on sanitary criteria for the quality of water for human consumption. The explanatory statement justifies the new regulation by the need to adapt the service to the current regulatory framework and to encourage the rational use of a scarce resource.

The text regulates connections and contracting of the service, metering and billing systems, suspension and termination of the contract, enquiries and complaints from subscribers, inspection and control, and actions in exceptional or emergency situations.

Protection of subscribers

The regulation details the conditions for accessing the status of subscriber, economic rights, deposits and modes of use, and sets out the causes for suspension of supply: non-payment of bills, fraud in consumption, or use of water for purposes other than those contracted.

• Suspension for non-payment requires an accumulated debt equivalent to at least the consumption of two billing periods.
• Before any disconnection, the subscriber must be notified with a minimum notice of fifteen business days and a report must be requested from municipal social services to rule out the risk of residential exclusion.
• The service must be restored within a maximum of two business days once the causes that led to the suspension have been resolved.

Violations and penalties

The seventh title establishes the sanctioning regime applicable to subscribers and to anyone who, through their actions or omissions, affects the service or its facilities. Violations are classified into three degrees, with fines of up to 3,000 euros.

• Minor violations: fine of up to 750 euros, with a warning and obligation to normalize the situation within a maximum of fifteen days.
• Serious violations: fine of up to 1,500 euros, such as tampering with seals or meters, hindering inspection, or improper use of irrigation outlets and hydrants.
• Very serious violations: fine of up to 3,000 euros, when the conduct causes serious and significant damage to facilities or when three serious violations are repeated within one year.

The authority to initiate proceedings and impose sanctions corresponds to the mayor or the councilor to whom it is delegated. Very serious violations expire after three years, serious violations after two, and minor violations after six months, and an abbreviated procedure has been provided for minor violations or those with a penalty of less than 601.01 euros.

The regulation will enter into force fifteen business days after its publication in the BOPB and will have indefinite validity, and will nullify any prior provisions that oppose it. Against the final approval, which ends the administrative route, an administrative contentious appeal may be filed before the Administrative Litigation Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia within a period of two months. The regulation thus provides a complete, updated, and enforceable framework for an essential service on which all residents of the municipality depend.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona, July 30, 2026, pp. 1-40 (official reference: CVE 202610125600).