The European Commission has approved an investment of more than €70 million from the Cohesion Fund to improve water and wastewater infrastructure in Romania’s Sibiu and Braşov counties in line with the Drinking Water Directive and the Urban Waste Water Directive.
Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “This project shows that cohesion policy is first and foremost about improving the quality of daily lives of our citizens. Take this project for instance: it is about water. It will significantly improve the wastewater and water infrastructure in the regions of Sibiu and Braşov. It will support the economy, protect the environment and have positive effects on the health of citizens.”.
In total, 164 km of drinking water distribution network will be built and 100 km rehabilitated
The funds will connect more households to the water and wastewater infrastructure. It will also reduce the risk of diseases by replacing asbestos-cement pipes and by eliminating the risk of drinking water from heavily contaminated sources. The project will lay 10 kilometres of wastewater collection pipes and 40 km of new sewerage network pipes.
Twenty-six new domestic wastewater pumping stations will be built and refurbished. Moreover, it will connect households to the sewerage network eliminating the need for septic tanks. The surface-water catchment area will be rehabilitated, 156 km of new main transmission pipes laid and 55 km of main pipes rehabilitated.
In total, 164 km of drinking water distribution network will be built and 100 km rehabilitated. Well-functioning drinking and wastewater networks will also give a boost to the development of tourism in the region, they protect the environment reducing soil pollution and improve the water quality of rivers.
