Bulgaria Needs 12 Bln Eur For The Modernization Of The Water Infrastructure

Bulgaria needs 12 billion euro for the modernization of the water infrastructure. This claimed at a seminar in Istanbul Georgi Georgiev, representative of the subsidiary of EVN in Bulgaria WTE, which is an electric energy and infrastructure services supplier. The company deals also with management, financing and exploitation of water supply and sewerage systems.According to Georgiev resources could be received through the ISPA Program and the Cohesion fund as well as from private investors. As a main problem, however, for the private investment he pointed out the lack of normative basis about the ownership on the facilities.Georgi Georgiev claimed that the water resources in the towns and villages were sufficient for the normal water supply of the population provided there was good management and effective use.The water supply and sewerage system in Bulgaria, however, is extremely obsolete. 70% of the infrastructure is 20-30 years old, said also Georgiev.Currently 72 purification plants are built in Bulgaria while their number till 2014 should be over 400.The sector urgently needs a new Water Law, which to stipulate whether the state or the municipalities own the networks and the water facilities.The draft Water Law provides for the establishment of regional council on water supply and sewerage, which to choose projects for network modernization, announce concession competitions and approve the business plans of the water companies. The draft stipulates also the establishment of a national council on water supply and sewerage with 19 members, headed by the minister of regional development and public works. Another amendment is the companies to be able to make joint ventures with foreign firms.