Practical matters of Spain - Water - quality and supply of water in Spain

The water supply in Spain is generally described as good quality and good service. The tariffs are among the lowest in the EU. More than 60% of the population is served by private water companies. More than 98% of the population now has access to running water supplies.

Water shortages in Spain

During water shortages local authorities may restrict water consumption or cut off water supplies, often without notice. Water shortages can also result in low pressure to the tap.

Water to your Spanish home

Before buying or renting a property in Spain you must ensure that the property has water connected. Ask to see a previous bill for the property. This will give an indication on the supplier and the amount of water being used, along with the charge rates. We purchased a rural house in Andalucia that had mains water connected from the town supply. The water pipes ran overground for some distance from the meter. This meant that in summer months the water was almost always hot. It also meant that on several ocassions the pipe was damaged by a local farmer and our supply was interupted. The supply was re-instated but only after we had found the problem and repaired the damage ourselves. We also had the benefit of a well in the garden. In the winter the well provided enough water for the garden, washing vehicles and topping up the swimming pool. By July the well was empty and useless.

We considered putting in storage tanks for water but found that the costs to buy and install was prohibitive. If you have water delivered to a storage tank you pay a delivery charge plus a rate per litre.

Cost of water in Spain

There is no set rule nor price for water in Spain. Each local authority will set the prices and these can vary considerably. Expect to pay a standing charge plus a price per cubic metre. Expect a bill monthly in most cases although we experienced it slightly differently. We would not receive a bill for up to 8 months then suddenly a whopper bill would arrive. Check your water meter reading when you get a bill. Its quite common for the reader to read the wrong meter and charge you for someone else's water or worse still just guess on a reading because he couldn't be bothered to read it.