In Haro (La Rioja) has accused the Plataforma en Defensa del Agua Pública de Haro of denying residents access to an extraordinary plenary meeting on 29 October 2026. The agenda included launching a tendering process for the operation and maintenance of the drinking water supply and wastewater system, as well as the replacement of water meters. According to the platform, many interested people were unable to attend the meeting; it describes this as “anti-democratic practices” and a “veto”.
Municipal documents show that the Ayuntamiento de Haro scheduled an extraordinary plenary meeting for 29 October with the stated item on the agenda. Local reports say a protest took place before the meeting began. Platform representatives said seats had already been taken, including by supporters of the governing parties, preventing other residents from entering. Among those named in this context were supporters of Partido Popular, Por La Rioja and Ciudadanos There has been no independent review of access arrangements on the day of the meeting.
According to regional reports, the town council emphasises that the process is intended to reorganise operations, not to bring about full privatisation. Ownership of the facilities and infrastructure would remain with the Ayuntamiento de Haro. As part of its considerations, the council has also raised the possibility of reducing water charges by 21 per cent. However, detailed tender documents and minutes of the decision have yet to be made available.
Opposition parties and associations have criticised the proposal. The PSOE Haro had already warned before the meeting of what it saw as an impending privatisation. The Plataforma en Defensa del Agua Pública de Haro is also calling for transparency about the reports, the scope of the contract and oversight mechanisms, to ensure security of supply and tariff regulation. It says that requests for documents and meetings have repeatedly been denied or only partially granted.
The publication of the formal decision, the detailed tender conditions and any objections will be key to assessing the matter further. These will determine whether this is a partial outsourcing of individual services under municipal control or steps towards more extensive external contracting. Until those documents are produced, key issues remain disputed: the actual scope of the planned transfer of duties, the contractual oversight mechanisms and the future development of charges.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).