Three contracts amounting to a total of EUR 12.3 mn were signed today for the preparation of regional general plans of the water supply and treatment systems across the country. The chosen consortiums should complete the master plans within 18 month, so that the Bulgarian Ministry of regional development and public works can keep up with the project submission for EU funding for the new operational period for 2014 – 2020 for OP Environment. The regulatory period for water utilities in Bulgaria is 5 years and the new period also starts in 2014. Therefore the master plans should facilitate the preparation of the new investment strategies for the years ahead.

 

Minister Liliana Pavlova commented that the water sector has been put aside in recent reforms and that it would once again become a key infrastructure area on both national and regional level.

 

She précised that 80% of the funding for the master plans comes from a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, while the other 20% are from the national budget.

 

Pavlova stated that the process of the master plans will be surveyed by the World Bank.

 

The 3 consortiums for the 3 lots of the project are as follows:

 

- Egis Infrastructure Bulgaria DZZD

 

-Seureca (France), SCE (France) Hidroproekt Sofia Ltd. (Bulgaria), Arcadia Engineering Bulgaria Ltd. (Bulgaria)

 

-Niras Bulgaria EOOD (Denmark), Ramboll (Denmark), Sofia Consulting Group (Bulgaria), DHI a.s. (Czech Republic)

 

Currently Sofia is the only location that has such plan. The new plans should help improve the water services and the water treatment ration, as well as the efficiency of the networks.