Cost of connecting leaving households without public water supply and sewerage
Although a large share of Estonia's population is served by public water supply and sewerage systems, not all properties are connected to the network. For many property owners, the main obstacle is the high cost of connecting.
Although water utilities have made public water supply and sewerage connections available in densely populated areas, nearly 15 percent of Estonia's population is still not connected to the network. One of the main obstacles is the high cost of connecting.
According to Hans Liibek, chairman of the board of the Estonian Waterworks Association, the problem lies in the expensive additional work required on private property.
"In practice, a great many connection points have already been built, so the opportunity to connect exists. But it's the work within the property itself — the building's internal infrastructure has to be rebuilt and, as everyone knows, that is very, very expensive and where people get stuck."
Liibek said the cost of connecting depends on the scope of the work. In simpler cases, connection costs can range from €1,000 to €5,000. If a longer pipeline must be installed and additional work carried out on the property, the cost can exceed €10,000.
According to Taavi Gröön, CFO of water company Tallinna Vesi, costs are even higher in the capital.
"The average cost of a connection point is under €20,000. But once you include the infrastructure within the property itself, the total is clearly more than €20,000."
Gröön emphasized that the average price is only a broad indicator and depends heavily on factors such as the size and location of the property, as well as the infrastructure that needs to be built.
Currently, property owners must cover all connection-related costs themselves. Liibek said there is no national support program to help finance connections to public water supply and sewerage systems.
"At the moment, the state does not have a program that would support these connections."
Liibek said sparsely populated areas are the exception.
"There, one-third is paid by the property owner, one-third by the state and one-third by the local government."
Liibek believes there is currently no good solution for people who cannot afford the cost of connecting, meaning property owners must resolve the issue on their own.
"I don't have a good solution to put on the table right now. Everyone really has to deal with their own problem: it's your property, you're the owner and you're responsible for it. If you can't manage it, then you'll have to make choices. That's life."
Gröön said it is important for as many properties as possible to be connected to the public water supply, as this benefits both the environment and users of water and sewerage services.
Liibek noted that, looking at the bigger picture, the situation in Estonia has improved significantly over the past couple of decades, with major progress made in expanding public water systems and wastewater treatment.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Urmet Kook
