Review

What about rainwater and snowmelt? What options are available to municipalities responsible for managing this type of water? Piotr Liberski, one of the firm’s managing partners, gave his opinion on the subject. Among other things, he deals with issues related to municipal management and local government on a daily basis.

It is not a one-dimensional problem. Municipalities have the possibility to introduce rainwater management fees, but they usually do not. In my opinion, the reasons do not lie in the formal aspects of introducing charges. The current legislation not only obliges municipalities to discharge rainwater or snowmelt as their own responsibility, but also makes it possible to introduce a fee for such services. In my opinion, the main obstacle for the municipalities to introduce a fee is the de facto necessity to impose a “new” additional charge on the residents, which, of course, may be difficult to perceive for various reasons. On the other hand, from a purely formal point of view, a municipality (or a municipal water and sewerage company entrusted with such a task) can charge for rainwater as long as the principles of chargeability are established in accordance with the Municipal Management Act.