The water supply and sewerage strategy will be fine-tuned. “We reached an agreement with the Delegation of the European Union, which will provide €3 million in technical assistance for updating the strategy and working out a methodology that will enable us to design a database on the sewerage and water supply in the country’s settlements,” Minister of the Environment Gheorghe Salaru told the press, Info-Prim Neo reports. The strategy dates from 2007. The emphases on the sustainable water supply sources turned out to be not exact, said the minister. The database that will be created is necessary for putting to good use the budget support of €50 million that the European Commission will provide to Moldova for improving the water supply in its settlements, said Gheorghe Salaru The investments in the drinking water supply and sewerage systems in 2010 totaled 234 million lei, while in 2011 – 280 million lei. This year they are expected to amount to 600 million lei. The minister said that the capacities for using this money are reduced for the time being. That’s why there will be created a sector committee under the Ministry of the Environment, which will involve donors, representatives of the central and local authorities and of civil society. The committee will aim to improve the management of such projects. Several regional water supply and sewerage projects have been launched lately. Among them is the Nisporeni – Grozesti – Varzaresţi three-year project that is financed from a number of foreign sources and from the National Ecological Fund. It will provide access to sustainable drinking water and sewerage services of a high quality for about 20,000 people. Another project will supply drinking water to six districts - Ciadir Lunga, Leova, Hancesti, Orhei, Floresti, and Soroca – and 30 villages located nearby. The €30 million project is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank and the Neighborhood Fund. 70% of the money represents a grant, while 30% a loan. The project was signed in 2010, but the donors cannot allocate money because there weren’t presented the technical drawings. According to reports, 60% of Moldova’s population does not have access to sustainable water supply and sewerage systems. This percentage in rural areas is much higher.