Water/wastewater infrastructure in the Romanian rural area Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Water/wastewater infrastructure in the Romanian rural area Ana Drapa, seniour counselor High-Level Policy Dialogue on “EU Sanitation Policies and Practices in the 2008 International Year of Sanitation” Brussels, 29th January 2008

Content Present status Long terms objectives Rural infrastructure – investments Conclusions

Romania – Administrative aspects Total area: 238 391 km2 41 counties & Bucharest municipality 319 towns and municipalities, 2851 communes and 12 946 villages 21 623 849 inhabitants (July 1, 2005) - 11 879 897 inhabitants in urban area (54.9%) - 9 743 952 inhabitants in rural area (45.1 %) Source: NSI Romanian Statistical Yearbook 2006

Water resources (1) 97.8% of Romania is part of the Danube River Basin (30.0% of the DRB) Total volume: 40 398 mill. cm/year of which - surface waters: 33 806 and groundwaters: 6 592 Total lenght of watercourses: 78, 905 km

Sources of pollution for rural area: Water resources (2) Sources of pollution for rural area: punctiform and diffuse discharges of waste water from the human settlements and the livestock sector agricultural activities (pollutants difficult for identification) contamination with nitrates (pollution has a cumulative character), with phosphates, chemicals used for soil fertilization.

Water/Wastewater Infrastructure 1398 Drinking Water Treatment Plants ~ 42 000 km of water distribution network 1 310 Waste Water Treatment Plants ~ 17 000 km of sewage network

Romania’s obligations after the EU-accession Gradual fulfillment of the EU Directives requirements EU Directive Transition period Associated costs (billions EURO) Drinking water 98/83 2015 compliance for quality parameters for drinking water 5.6 Urban Wastewater 91/271 2018 By 2015 – 263 agglomerations with more than 10.000 p.e. By 2018 – 2346 agglomerations between 2000 - 10.000 p.e. 9.5 Nitrates 91/676 2007 3.1

Status of drinking water infrastructure in the rural area Drinking water supply: 87.6 % in urban area and 15.1 % in rural area In 2003: 56.4% of total lenght of drinking water distribution network in the urban area, and 43.6% in the rural area 33% of rural inhabitants (3.4 million inhabitants) – access to the public water networks 70% of the rural households get their water from wells National Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 2007 December 20th consolidated version

Status of infrastructure for public sewage network in the rural area At the end of 2004: 373 communes (10% of the total rural population) had sewage networks Sewage network (2003): 93,2 % of the pipes length in urban area and 6.8 % in rural area. Total lenght of the sewage network is 16 812 km, of which 15 738 km in the urban area and 1 074 in rural area Source: National Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 – 2007 December 20th consolidated version

Investments in water/waste water infrastructure Financial Strategy - Development of water/waste water infrastructure by environmental impact of waste water from agglomerations: - big cities - >150,000 p.e. - towns - 10,000 p.e.- 100,000 p.e. - localities (communes) – 2,000 –10,000 p.e.

Investments in water/waste water infrastructure Long term objectives Population access to the water supply Sewage and WW treatment

Evolution of EU pre-accession funds for Romania

EU pre-accession funds Phare Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession - ISPA SAPARD (as basis for implementation: National Plan for Agriculture and Rural Development) includes 11 measures Total allocation 2000 – 2006: 1,522 million Euro of which: 33,85% for Measure 2.1 on Development and improvement of rural infrastructure: 780 applications (of which: 273 projects on centralized drinking water distribution network , 87 projects for centralized sewerage network).

Proposal for phasing investments on Water and Sewerage

National Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 (1) Development of rural areas will be achieve with the support of European Community through NRDP 2007 -2013 (9.970 bill. Euro) NPDR financed by European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development – EAFRD: 8. 022 billions Euro - NRDP will finance the investments for localities with less than 10,000 e.p. Axis 1 “Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector” 3.17 bill. Euro - 45 % Axis 2 “Improving the environment and the countryside 1.8 bill. Euro - 25 % Axis 3 “The quality of life in rural area and the diversification of the rural economy – 1.97 bill. Euro - 27,5 % Axis 4 “LEADER” – 188 millions Euro - 2,5 %

National Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 (2) Axis 3 “The quality of life in rural area and the diversification of the rural economy” Measures 322 – Village renewal and development, improving basic services for the rural economy and population and upgrating of rural heritage (i) basic physical infrastructure - road infrastructure, water supply and wastewater treatment, energy and gas/heating supply/waste (ii) Community services (iii) Maintaining and preserving the rural heritage and the cultural identity Financial allocation 2007 – 2013: 1,579,217,870 euro of which Public expenditure 1,546,087,425 euro Investments: 6 317 km water supply pipelines (new works – 4 738 km; extension and/or upgrading – 1 579) and 5 053 km sewage pipelines (new works – 4 043 km, extention and /or upgrading – 1 011 km)

Project “Control of pollution in agriculture’’ Global Objective: Reduction on long term of nutrients discharges (nitrogen and phosphorus) and other Pollutants from agricultural origin from Danube and Black Sea using integrated soil and water management Implementation period: 2002 - 2006 Project Components: Manure Management; Tests/Demonstration of ecologic agricultural practices; Ecologic restoration; Monitoring of soil and water quality;Strengthening of building regulatory capacity on environmental policies; Public information campaign at local, regional (other countries from Black Sea) and national level Pilot Project: Calarasi county Total amount : USD 10.8 millions of which: 5.15 mil.$ from World Bank (GEF), 1.86 mil. $ from Romanian Government, 0. 29 mil.$ from Calarasi County Council, 1 mil. $ from Governmental Project “Support for Agricultural servicies” and 2.5 mil. $ for direct beneficiaries, investments in equipments Project Replication at national level (USD 50 Mil.) - support for Ministry of Environment and Water Management for implementation of relevant UE Directives( Nitrates Directives and Water Framework Directive) taking into account the nutrients content of surface and ground waters.

Rural Development Programme Financed by World Bank Total investment value : 100 mil. US $ Starting date : 2005 Pilot phase: 5 counties

Project on Integrated Nitrates Pollution Control Total amount: 59,1 mill. Euro , of which 50 mill. Euro (BIRD) and 4.2 mill. Euro (grant GEF), local authorities budget: 4.9 mill. Euro Implementation period: 2007 – 2013 Objectives: reduction of watercourses pollution, strentehning of the institutional capacities, demonstrative actions at commune level Investments: 34 counties (10 hydrographic basins) 11 communes from 11 counties: establishment of Centres of testing/demonstration

Governmental initiatives on rural investments Two programmes on water supply in the rural area (1st - 1995 – 1997: 260 mill. USD – 750 projects and 2nd – on-going: 340 mill. USD+90 mill.USD approved in 2004) Rural Infrastructure Development Programme 2006 – 2009 (200 mill. Euro – 452 communes – water supply and sewerage)

Conclusions Current situation of water services and infrastructure has a negative impact on quality of life in rural areas and on economic development of these areas. Development and improvement of rural infrastructure are needed (basic physical infrastructure – especially streets/rural roads, water supply and sewage/waste water treatment, energy and gas/heating supply) Need to reduce disparities between rural and urban areas Specific conditions of rural areas require different solutions Potential to improve water quality through investments in water infrastructure for rural settlements Direct positive impact of rural water infrastructure on the population’s health condition and development of the area Development and improvement of infrastructure for water/wastewater treatment require a large amount of civil works – huge investments Larger investments are needed for small agglomerations due to the particular technical solutions required Technical solutions – low costs of maintenance of works Gradual implementation – rural population affordability (a fast implementation would lead to a sharp increase of the water service price) Diversification of financing source: state and local budget, EU funds, credit and PPP, other sources

Thank you for your attention ! International Year of Sanitation” ROMANIA Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development Thank you for your attention ! www.mmediu.ro ana.drapa@mmediu.ro High-Level Policy Dialogue on “EU Sanitation Policies and Practices in the 2008 International Year of Sanitation” Brussels, 29th January 2008