Water budget

Research objective

Based on the results of exploratory research, the aim of this project is to develop a well-founded, applicable methodology that will enable the VMM/WaterRegulator to:

• map in a detailed and objective way the affordability of the integral water bill in Flanders;
• monitor the evolution of affordability;
• simulate the impact of potential changes in structure and tariffs.

The project is mainly implemented by the Centre for Social Policy Herman Deleeck of the University of Antwerp. The project consists of two phases, each of which is further subdivided into two sub-phases.

CEBUD is responsible for the first part of the first phase. This will gather the background data needed to update the normative affordability indicator, project it back in time, and specify it regionally.  The methodology will be more detailed for recent years and more coarse for the period 2005-2010, as more accurate source data is available for the more recent period. To update the normative affordability indicator, we use a VITO study and water billing data from the VMM.