Over 220,000 residents of Romania’s Arges county will have access to more reliable water and wastewater services thanks to an EBRD loan for the regional operator of water and wastewater utilities, Apa Canal 2000 S.A. Pitesti (Apa Canal).
The Bank is providing €12.5 million, in two tranches, to co-finance Apa Canal’s €161.8 million EU Large Infrastructure Operational Programme.
The investment programme aims to upgrade and expand water supply and wastewater treatment services, with a focus on small communities of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. More than 2,000 residents will get access to a water supply network for the first time. The water company also aims to cut its annual water losses by 5.2 million m3 and to treat an additional 1.0 million m3 of wastewater per year.
In addition, the loan will help develop an asset management system, including a software application to increase Apa Canal’s operational efficiency.
The financing is being provided under the EBRD’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Facility, which builds on the Bank’s long-term work with Romanian water companies to bring the sector in line with EU laws, policies and practices.
To date, the EBRD has financed 24 water operators in Romania, providing a total of €330 million in loans and mobilising more than €2 billion of EU funding for the country’s water and wastewater facilities.
The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Romania and has invested over €8.3 billion to date in the country, primarily in the private sector.
