More than 16,500 inhabitants of the city of Călărași benefit from better water supply and sewerage services after the rehabilitated and expanded aqueduct and sewerage network with the support of the European Union was inaugurated on December 8.
Thanks to this project, 11.4 km of aqueduct networks were rehabilitated and 4.5 km extended in Călărași, as well as 4.9 km of sewage networks were extended. Thus, as a result of these works, 875 new consumers were connected to drinking water, and 234 new connections to the sewage system.
The total value of the project “Improving water supply and sewerage services in the city of Călărași” is about 1.5 million euros, of which about 1.4 million euros – offered as a non-refundable grant by the European Union, and about 174 thousand euros – the contribution of the Călărași City Hall.
At the same time, with the support of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Î.M. The “Călărași communal-housing household” benefited from financial support worth about 30,000 euros, which includes: a laboratory equipped with equipment for monitoring water quality, equipment for detecting water leaks, and staff equipped with clothing and protective equipment. The specialists Î.M. were trained on how to manage various aspects related to quality management, business planning, customer relations, and further expansion of services to neighboring municipalities.
The total budget of the project is 39.8 million euros.
The Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, Jānis Mažeiks, declared during the commissioning event of the works to renovate the aqueduct and the sewage system that the European Union is with the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in increasing access to quality public services at the local level.
“I am proud to see these results here in Călărași, and I am happy to note that through this project I participated directly in improving the lives of the people of Călărași. At the same time, through these investments, we come to support and protect the environment, and the fact that we are here is a clear message of support for the Republic of Moldova on its way to development and the creation of better conditions for a quality life”, said Mažeiks.
FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT NEWS, FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK!
For his part, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Andrei Spînu, stated that this project “makes us confident that things are moving in the right direction, and with the help of the EU and Germany, things can move with a better speed, so that our citizens can benefit from quality services”.
“Good quality water will also improve the health of consumers, for which we are grateful to our development partners. We are fully committed to continuing the identification and capitalization of resources so that all people, from all regions of the country, can enjoy good living conditions and increased access to quality public services”, concluded Spînu.
Steffen Lohmann, co-head of cooperation within the German Embassy in the Republic of Moldova mentioned that the improvement of water infrastructure in Moldova is a key area of German cooperation in Moldova.
“The European Union, Germany and Moldova have successfully joined forces to modernize the water and sewage network and to strengthen the capacity of the local water operator, to the benefit of many people in the municipality of Călărași. In a complementary project of EUR 40 million, Germany, through its development bank KfW, is financing the extension of a drinking water transport pipeline from Chisinau to Calarasi and Străseni districts. Germany will continue to support the Republic of Moldova as a friend and partner to improve the livelihoods of its citizens and to advance on the road to the European Union,” the official said.
The country director of GIZ Moldova, Claudia Hermes, stated that the European Union, Germany and Moldova are working together to ensure progress in this regard, and the modernization of the quality water supply service, as well as the expansion of the sewage system in Călăraşi have were ensured through the infrastructure works executed within this project”.