€73 million in unpaid bills at Vivaqua: N-VA calls for Laurence Bovy’s resignation

Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre is sounding the alarm over the sharp rise in unpaid bills at Vivaqua: outstanding debt has climbed from nearly €29 million in 2011 to more than €73 million by the end of 2025. He is therefore calling for the resignation of CEO Laurence Bovy and demanding a thorough audit of the intermunicipal utility company.

“People who pay their bills properly are now footing the bill for those who don’t. The problems at Vivaqua are well known, and the situation is only getting worse. Enough is enough,” says Mathias Vanden Borre.

Laurence Bovy’s position no longer tenable

According to Mathias Vanden Borre, Laurence Bovy’s position has become untenable. “She has been heading Vivaqua since 2017 and earns more than the Prime Minister. Yet the company’s operations and accounting remain a governance disgrace that shows no sign of improvement: sinkholes, billing problems, poorly managed infrastructure and a massive debt burden. It is high time to put an end to PS-style mismanagement, especially now that the Region wants to take a stake in the intermunicipal company,” Vanden Borre states.

He also argues that Vivaqua’s partnership with debt collection agency Modero is failing to deliver sufficient results. Between July 2025 and April 2026, nearly 40,000 cases were transferred for debt recovery. More than 31,000 cases are still open today.

A staggering €1.1 billion debt burden

Meanwhile, Vivaqua’s financial situation remains highly precarious: by the end of 2024, the company’s debt had reached nearly €1.1 billion. At the same time, the intermunicipal utility faces major investments in its ageing sewer network, while current tariff revenues are insufficient to cover those costs.

As a result, Vivaqua will have to continue borrowing in order to carry out the necessary works. “But the question is where that money can still be found: the Brussels Region and the municipalities are themselves stretched to the limit and no longer have the financial room to step in,” says Mathias Vanden Borre.

He is therefore calling on the Court of Audit to conduct a performance audit into Vivaqua’s financial situation, debt recovery policy and internal operations. “The figures clearly show that this is a structural problem that urgently needs to be addressed in order to avoid further deterioration,” Vanden Borre concludes. “Anyone who wants to restore public trust must finally get things in order. That starts with new management, a thorough audit and a debt recovery policy that actually works.”