Rejection of consumer protection for water and sanitation services

The ruling majority of "Progressive Bulgaria" and the other parties in parliament rejected a key proposal by "Vazrazhdane" to protect the rights of water and sanitation service consumers. The deputy chairman of the parliamentary group, Petar Petrov, stated that the amendments to the Water Act aim solely at absorbing funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, without considering the citizens.

"We proposed a mechanism according to which subscribers would receive compensation during water rationing or poor-quality service, similar to electricity consumers," pointed out Petrov.

Inequality and a future water crisis

According to "Vazrazhdane", there is currently gross inequality. While there are established mechanisms for compensation for electricity interruptions exceeding 24 hours, in the case of water and sanitation services, consumers remain unprotected even in the absence of potable water that does not meet Ordinance 9 of 2001.

  • Expected new water rationing during the summer.
  • Lack of activity from the National Water Board.
  • Lack of real measures to prevent the water crisis.

Petar Petrov emphasized that the National Water Board, established in September 2025, is practically not working, having held only one meeting during the entire period up to November.