Europe for Moldova: over 28,000 people of two north Moldova settlements to have running drinking water

More than 28,000 residents of Edinet municipality and the town of Cupcini will gain access to drinking water following the installation of a modern water treatment plant. The project, worth approximately six million euros, was carried out under the Europe for Moldova programme.

The plant was inaugurated today, in the presence of local and central authorities, as well as representatives of the European Union. The programme was launched in 2022 with the support of the European Union, Austria, Germany and Poland, together with national and local partners.

Attending the inauguration, European Union’s Ambassador to Moldova Ivona Piorko underlined that the project had a direct impact on the population’s quality of life.

"We are opening much more than a new station. We are providing something fundamental: safe drinking water for approximately 28,000 residents of the cities of Edinet and Cupcini. Cleaner water means healthier families, stronger communities, as well as better schools, hospitals and opportunities for local businesses," said Ivona Piorko.

According to the ambassador, the project shows the cooperation between the European Union, its member states and the authorities of Moldova.

"When we talk about the European Union’s support for people, I don’t think there is anything more tangible than access to safe running drinking water. This is exactly the kind of investment the European Union advocates: investments in people, strengthening communities and creating opportunities for a better future at home. As Moldova advances on its European path, we want to continue supporting reforms, investments in communities and the improvement of public services," the ambassador added.

For his part, Denis Lungu, Secretary of State at the Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry, stressed the strategic importance of investments in water infrastructure and explained the scale of the programmes currently under way:

"They say that water is life here in Moldova, but it is more than that. This is a national priority and an investment in our future. For the Infrastructure and Regional Development Ministry, the water and sanitation sector is a genuine priority. We have developed a concept for the development of water supply systems in all regions of the country, with the support of development partners. Through this concept, we aim to ensure access to water for approximately 95 per cent of the localities of Moldova. At the same time, we are implementing major projects, such as the Chisinau–Straseni–Calarasi aqueduct, the construction of a new intake station on the Dniester River, as well as important projects in Cahul, Soroca and Rascani," the official stated.

Constantin Cojocaru, the mayor of the Edinet municipality, noted that this plant solves a longstanding problem related to water quality:

"What we have here is, first and foremost, about people and attention to the community. Now, we can provide citizens with safe water," the mayor said.

The investments in Edinet include the construction of a new water treatment plant (with a production capacity of 5,184 m³/day), located on the site of pumping station no. 4, along with a new power supply system and the reconstruction of high- and low-voltage electrical installations (10 kV line), as well as the rehabilitation of one of the two reservoirs.

In addition, at the Racovat/Badragii-Vechi reservoir, a new water intake (sump) and a raw-water pumping station with a capacity of 90 l/s will be built, as well as a 1 km pipeline to connect to the existing transmission main.

The project will also modernize the electromechanical components (pumps, electrical systems) of the three intermediate pumping stations, in order to ensure efficient and reliable operation.

This project is financed by the European Union (EU), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and Moldova. The project is implemented by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and is part of the EU4Moldova: Local Communities programme, financed by the EU, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Poland – Polish Aid.