Water Management Association of the West Bohemia Region

The Water Management Association of West Bohemia Region is a voluntary union of 88 municipalities from the regions of Karlovy Vary, Tachov, Sokolov, Chomutov and Rakovník (west Bohemia). The Association was established in 1993. Its key objective is to carry out the management, operation and development of water supply and wastewater treatment systems, which is municipalities' legal obligation. The association covers a region of approximately 3000 km2 with 183 000 inhabitants. The total association's property amounts to nearly 5 billion CZK.

The Association is managed by the general meeting of mayors and the 23-member executive council. Each municipality has one vote. The membership is voluntary; municipalities can any time leave the association with their water assets. The association is based on municipalities' operation and investment solidarity, so it is possible to generate sufficient financial resources for big investments in water supply and wastewater treatment systems.

To perform its legal obligation, the Association concluded a twenty-five-year exclusive lease with the water and wastewater company Vodárny a kanalizace Karlovy Vary (Vodakva) and transferred to that company the responsibility for running and upgrading existing infrastructure.

To preserve the control of the operating company, the Association became one of the two main shareholders of Vodkava and has its representatives in Vodakva´s managing and auditing bodies. The other important shareholder is the French water company Suez Environnement; both shareholders are sharing the management of Vodakva.
The members of the Association approve water and sewage rates and the investment plan. The financial resources for investments are constituted of: lease and dividends paid by Vodakva, subsidies awarded by the state or the EU funds and loans.

Originally the Water Management Association associated only municipalities from the Karlovy Vary region. Its apparent economical success based on the above-mentioned system of the infrastructure's ownership and operation persuaded also municipalities from other regions to join it. The number of its members has more than doubled since year 2000.

The water supply and wastewater treatment system applied by the Water Management Association is effective, transparent and flexible. It can meet rising consumer's demands, stricter regulations for drinking water and environmental protection. Thanks to this stable and well-balanced system, the association can reach more easily subsidies awarded by the state or the EU. It can be an example for other municipalities when deciding on their legal obligation to supply inhabitants with drinking water and to ensure complete wastewater treatment