Overview

• NRW households saw waste fees increase by 2.5% to an average €307 and wastewater fees climb 5.1% to €842 for a four-person home.
• Rates vary dramatically between municipalities, with annual wastewater charges ranging from around €330 in Reken to €1,690 in Monschau.
• Contributing factors include EU mandates for advanced treatment, rising staff costs from tariff agreements, and steep infrastructure expenses.
• Property owners and tenants can curb costs by choosing smaller waste bins, joining container-sharing schemes, installing irrigation sub-meters, and adopting pervious surfaces or green roofs.
• The Bund der Steuerzahler NRW urges the state government to ban replacement value accounting methods or mandate that any surpluses be reserved for future wastewater infrastructure.