Water poverty in cities in the Global North: an interpretation of unpaid water bills in two Spanish cities

In cities in the Global North, economic crises (such as the bursting of the property bubble in 2008 and the impact of COVID-19 in 2020) and the increase in water rates have exacerbated structural inequalities, leading to situations of water poverty. In this context, households may be forced to reduce their water consumption or temporarily or permanently stop paying for the service, risking disconnection. This study analyses quantitative and qualitative data at the neighbourhood scale related to the number of contracts with debts considered uncollectible and requests for subsidies and social tariffs provided by municipal water managers in the cities of Murcia and Alicante (Spain), two cities with high water prices and areas with the lowest income on a national level. These data measure one dimension of water poverty, affordability, and evaluate its relationship with the socioeconomic, demographic, and housing characteristics of the neighbourhoods analysed. The study of these relationships, along with interviews with water management companies, allows us to identify the strengths and limitations of the developed subsidy systems in terms of their scope and effectiveness. It also highlights the barriers and specific needs of vulnerable groups to guarantee the human right to water.

This study forms part of the research project “Evaluation of water poverty in urban environments on the Mediterranean coast: case studies in Alicante, Murcia and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona”, financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation [Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación] (PID2019-104456RB-C22). It has also received financial support from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades), through the State Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación), via its “Juan de la Cierva” postdoctoral program (FJC2021-046686-I).