Reconstruction of Chisinau wastewater treatment station will be less efficient without bank guarantees from the state

Without bank guarantees from the state, the investment project on the reconstruction of the wastewater treatment station in the municipality of Chisinau will be less efficient, considers the head of the Municipal Capital Constructions Division Ion Dermengi. According to Dermengi, this is also the opinion of the international experts that offered advice on the station’s reconstruction to the local authorities. Though the tender contest for designating the contractor set for September will take place if seven foreign companies purchase the tender book, experts in the area say that without a state guarantee, only the rise in water and sewerage charges would be a determinant factor for the investors to recoup their investment. At the same time, the experts say that a solution would be to attract foreign financing from international donors, given that the environment-related projects have increased chances of being financed and the wastewater treatment station is such a project. Due to the inadequate financing of the feasibility study and of the reconstruction designer, the international projector looks with different eyes at the Chisinau Cit Hall now. The local and central authorities paid only 14.8 mln lei of the 23.5 mln lei, which is the cost of the feasibility study and of the design documentation. For this reason, a considerable part of the design works remained unfinished, Dermengi said. In such a way, until starting the reconstruction of the station, the new contractor will have to complete the design works. Constantin Becciev, director of “Apa Canal Chisinau” SA, says that the key factor for financing this facility is the water and sewerage charges. In January 2007, the Chisinau Municipal Council decided to increase the respective charges for the population from 2.62 lei to 3.67 lei, promising to review them in three months. But this did not happen. According to Becciev, only an adequate pricing policy could contribute to the efficient reconstruction of the station. Although the wastewater treatment station functions normally, in accordance with the prescribed ecological parameters, Becciev says that a reconstruction is imperative because the concrete and metal constructions of the station are worn out and a possible earthquake could cause an ecological disaster. Moreover, the cited source says, even if the technologies of the 50s used to clean the water flowing into the Bac River do not contravene the legislation in force, ecologists warn of high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous that affect the ecological state of the river. The tender contest for building the wastewater treatment station located in Chisinau was launched at the end of May. The local public authorities intend to implement a project of European level. All the equipment for treating the mud can be built during two years. According to the EU norms, the next works related to the tertiary cleaning of the wastewater must be carried out within three years. The wastewater treatments station was put into operation in 1964-1977, in several stages. Now it is worn out. The station has not been under extensive reconstruction since built.