Vilamarín approves the regulation for the municipal drinking water service

The Vilamarín City Council has definitively approved the Regulations for the municipal drinking water supply service, after no claims were filed during the public exhibition period. The full text is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense on September 18, 2026, in section IV. Local Entities, with the official reference R. 2.118. The regulation establishes the rights and obligations of subscribers, the technical conditions of the service, the billing regime, the grounds for disconnection, the classification of fraud, and the protection of people in situations of economic vulnerability.

The initial plenary agreement was automatically elevated to definitive in compliance with article 70.2 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, on the bases of the local regime. The regulation is structured into 12 chapters and 76 articles and is signed by the mayor, Amador Vázquez Vázquez. According to article 75, it will enter into force the day following its definitive publication in the provincial gazette, and article 74 establishes that it will be applicable both to contracts that are formalized and to those already existing.

Municipal ownership and obligations of the supplying entity

The supply service is under municipal ownership, without prejudice to the form of management approved by the Vilamarín City Council, which may provide it directly or indirectly. The supplying entity assumes, among others, the following obligations:

• Provide the service to any petitioner and guarantee the potability of the water up to the registration valve of the connection.
• Maintain the pressure, regularity, and continuity of the supply, except in cases of breakdown or force majeure.
• Notify of scheduled interruptions at least 24 hours in advance, via electronic means.
• Respond to claims in writing within a maximum period of one month.
• Provide the supply within a maximum period of six business days from contracting and payment, except for new connections.

Meters, readings, and billing

The regulation opts for NB-IoT remote reading and requires individual meters for each home, premises, and differentiated use. When it is not possible to read the meter, billing will be done by estimation according to the order of priority provided in the text, and the subscriber will have one year to provide the actual reading and regularize. If no actual reading is obtained for four consecutive periods, the subscriber will be obliged to relocate the meter to an accessible place, with all costs at their own expense; non-compliance is considered a serious infringement.

The bonus for leaks in the interior installation is also regulated: the request must be submitted within the two periods following the issuance of the bill, it is admitted for a maximum of two consecutive periods, and it is not accepted before 24 months have elapsed since the previous bonus.

Vulnerability, drought, and disconnections

• Supply shall not be suspended for non-payment for those customers in a situation of economic vulnerability as long as the municipal social services notify of that situation, which shall last for one year and is renewable annually.
• If the communication arrives after the cut-off, the entity must restore the service in the shortest time possible and at no cost to the subscriber.
• The City Council will promote social tariffs and/or a Social Fund to settle the debt of these customers, with priority given to water consumption concepts.
• In a drought situation, consumption considered non-essential may be restricted: filling of swimming pools, fountains and ponds, washing of vehicles with a hose, cooling installations without a closed circuit, and watering of roads, parks and green areas.

Sanctions and fraud

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. Recidivism within two years converts a serious infraction into a very serious one. The competence to initiate and resolve the proceedings corresponds to the City Council, in accordance with Law 39/2015, of October 1.

Chapter XI defines fraud: enjoying the service without a contract, direct connections to the network, manipulation of the meter, diversions before the measuring equipment, or use of water for purposes other than those contracted. The entity may inspect without prior notice, cut off the supply immediately, and carry out a settlement calculated with a reference flow of 0.7 x (Q2 + Q3) and three hours of daily use, with 15 days for appeals.

The approval affects all residents of Vilamarín, who from the date of entry into force will have a single framework to contract, claim, and know their rights regarding the water service, including protection against cut-offs for non-payment in situations of vulnerability.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense, no. 179, of September 18, 2026, section IV. Local Entities (official reference: R. 2.118).