Project “Rehabilitation of the Water Supply System in ”

Project full name: Project overview Challenges and opportunities Rehabilitation of the water supply system in the The SDC has joined a consortium of donors, led by The district of Nisporeni is one of the most disadvan- of Nisporeni, the Austrian Development Agency, and local partners taged regions in terms of socio-economic develop- Varzaresti and Grozesti, to assist the Government of in addressing ment that has been included in the National Water Republic of Moldova the issue of safe drinking water supply and improved Strategy as a priority geographical area for water Sector: Water and sanitation in Nisporeni, the capital city of the dis- supply and sanitation. sanitation trict, and the neighbouring villages of Varzaresti and Inception phase: Grozesti, situated in the proximity of the River. The existing water supply system of the city of November 2010 – Nisporeni, built in the mid 80’ies, supplies under- February 2013 The project aims at building an integrated water sup- ground water to only one third of its residents. Main phase: ply infrastructure to include a water pumping station, However, the quality of the supplied water does not March 2013 – July 2016 a water treatment plant and distribution networks meet the drinking water standards being qualified as SDC contribution: CHF 1,140,000 connecting the three municipalities. In order to pre- ‘technical water’. On the other hand, private house- vent pollution of environment as a result of increased holds rely on the water from shallow wells, which is, Total project budget: EUR 11,300,000 water consumption, the project will take priority in most cases, as polluted as the rest of the water (CHF 13,880,000) sanitation measures, considering both centralized and supplied conventionally in the city. Partners: decentralized options for wastewater treatment. •• Austrian Development The current situation regarding sanitation and Agency (ADA) Creating conditions for the long-term operation of wastewater treatment is not encouraging either. The •• European Union water and sanitation systems is an important com- Nisporeni public sewerage system is barely operat- • Ministry of Environment • ponent of the project. Hence special attention is ing, whereas in Varzaresti and Grozesti it does not of Moldova •• Nisporeni district council paid to the activities meant to build up local owner- exist at all. Moreover, the discharged wastewater •• Municipalities of ship and strengthen the capacity of local authorities and the use of pit latrines is further compounding Nisporeni, Varzaresti and public service providers to manage effectively the problem of polluting environment. and Grozesti the operation and maintenance of the water and sanitation systems. The rehabilitation of the water supply infrastructure will be based on the technical standards of the Euro- With more than ten years of work experience in pean Union, ensuring the supply of safe drinking the construction of decentralized systems in the water and the sustainable operation of the water Nisporeni district, the SDC will not only contribute system. Applied technologies will allow for extend- funding, but will also transfer expertise and best ing of the water infrastructure to other municipali- practices in the areas of engineering, good govern- ties, as well as the connection to alternative sanita- ance, and human rights. tion solutions. Results of the previous phase effectively manage, operate and maintain the During the inception phase, the project carried out water infrastructure.

a technical evaluation to assess the condition of the •• Assist local authorities in developing and existing water and sanitation infrastructure. The introducing water tariffs and billing systems. institutional capacity of the local service provider, the •• Ensure access to information and participation of Nisporeni Apa Canal company, was also reviewed. the population through public events, meetings The results of these assessments have been used in and online platforms. shaping the scope of the rehabilitation works and institutional development activities. Project beneficiaries National environmental and health authorities, "Recognizing the human right to district and local public administration, water utility water and sanitation is not only an and sanitation service providers, private sector, and economically wise choice but also a the population of Nisporeni, Varzaresti and Grozesti. legal obligation. Immediate steps must be taken to respect the human right to water and sanitation, especially for those marginalized, vulnerable and neglected."

Catarina de Albuquerque, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation Overall goal The quality of life and public health of the population in Nisporeni, Varzaresti and Grozesti municipalities is improved by better access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

Main activities of the phase •• Ensure participation of all involved parties in the project coordination, organization, quality and cost control.

•• Conduct technical evaluation of assets, water testing and design works.

•• Tender and contract companies to deliver services For additional information: Rodica Vasiloi and works. Project Implementation Unit, Office Manager •• Carry out rehabilitation and construction works. of Nisporeni •• Strengthen the capacity of the local service Tel: (373) 264 23149 Email: [email protected] provider, local authorities and professionals to Web: www.prut-nisporeni.md