The new water strategy worked out by the Ministry of the Environment envisions the regionalization of water supply systems so that the settlements that do not have underground waters have access to drinking water, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to Minister of the Environment Gheorghe Salaru, regionalization means creating a powerful operator with up to 500,000 clients and appropriate management based on the market principle. A project of the kind to the value of €30 million was prompted in 2012 and will be continued in 2013. It is financed by the EBRD, the EIB and the Good Neighborhood Fund. Within it, water supply systems will be built in six district centers: in Leova and Ceadir-Lunga, Orhei and Hancesti, Floresti and Soroca, and in 30 settlements situated around these district centers. “Based on regionalization, the district operator will be able to extent its services to the neighboring villages. It is an exclusive project for Moldova as the subunits of Apa-Canal for the first time got not only a grant, but also a loan guaranteed by the state. The interest rate is 1% a year. This project should ensure the promotion of sustainable management in the field,” said the minister. Gheorghe Salaru also said that Moldova established a partnership with the EBRD for rehabilitating and extending the Soroca- Balti water pipe that was built 26 years ago. It is 45 km long and is used to partially supply Soroca town and Balti town with water. A feasibility study is to be prepared by the middle of 2013 for a public-private partnership project for connecting settlements from six districts to this water pipe. “We intend to cede this pipe to a foreign or national investor that will be able to invest about €50 million initially and another €50 million afterward so that all the northern settlements are supplied with water,” stated the minister. 50% of the settlements in Moldova are connected to water supply systems, while 90% of the settlements do not have sewerage systems.