Közmvíz

Közmvíz is a Hungarian term describing the public water utility system responsible for providing drinking water and managing wastewater within a municipality or region. The word is a compound of köz (public, municipal) and víz (water). In practice, közmvíz refers to the network of water supply and sewerage services operated by local governments or by jointly owned regional companies. Its scope typically includes production or abstraction of drinking water, treatment, distribution through the water mains, metering and customer service, as well as collection and treatment of wastewater, stormwater management, and infrastructure maintenance.

Organizations may be municipal corporations, regional utilities, or statutory public service providers. They are usually owned by municipalities or regional authorities and governed by local councils. Tariffs and service standards are set by the operator in coordination with public authorities and may be subject to national regulation to ensure drinking water quality and equitable access.

In Hungary, drinking water quality is overseen by national agencies, and public utility tariffs may be regulated by a national regulator. EU directives on water quality and wastewater treatment influence investment and modernization. The term is primarily used in Hungarian-language discourse to describe public water services; outside Hungary, similar concepts are described as public or municipal water utilities.