A new wastewater treatment plant in the city of Gjilan in Kosovo financed by the EBRD will improve sanitation standards for over 100,000 citizens and help reduce pollution in Kosovo’s rivers.
EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti and Kosovo’s Minister of Finance, Bedri Hamza signed an agreement on a €10 million loan for the Regional Water Company Hidromorava, Kosovo’s state-owned utility company, today in Sarajevo during the EBRD’s Annual Meeting and Business Forum
The project will include the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant and the rehabilitation and extension of the wastewater network in Gjilan and neighbouring communities. The project will be co-financed with a European Investment Bank sovereign loan of up to €10 million. An EU grant from the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) will support the preparation and implementation of the project.
Kosovo suffers from significant underinvestment in water and wastewater infrastructure. In Gjilan, many industries discharge untreated waste straight into the streams and tributaries of the Morava and Mirusha rivers, which eventually flow into the Danube, while households in rural areas discharge wastewater straight into streams.
The project will connect at least 3,000 new households to the wastewater treatment plant and significantly improve sanitation standards for Gjilian’s 110,000 citizens.