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New investment through the Municipal Environmental Loan Facility in the water
and waste-water sectors in various municipalities in Romania, which started
with the Municipal Utilities Development Programme I (MUDP I) and continued
with MUDP II, would further significantly contribute to improving the quality
and reliability of the drinking water supply. It would also reduce public
health hazards and pollution of surface and ground-water sources by improving
effluent quality and municipal solid waste management.
The project offers the opportunity to introduce water and waste-water
management systems, which are resource efficient and provide high quality of
drinking water and treated effluent. In addition, a municipal solid waste
management component, once fully implemented, it would reduce hazards to
public health and add to full protection of water resources in selected
municipalities.
Individual sub-projects under the Municipal Environmental Loan Facility may
involve environmental issues relating to building of new and/or upgrading of
existing water, waste-water and municipal solid waste management facilities.
Most of the impacts will be of short duration and will be minimised through
incorporation of good practice, including forewarning and signing of works,
restriction of working hours, development of traffic management schemes
offering alternative routes to traffic and pedestrians, etc.
Environmental summary for sub-project Oradea
EBRD is considering financing the water and wastewater utility in Oradea, APA
CANAL, which will be guaranteed by the City of Oradea to complement grant
financing from EU-ISPA under MELF. The approved ISPA grant funding to APA
CANAL is €16.7 million. The proceeds of the proposed loan will be used to
finance the rehabilitation of the wastewater and sludge treatment plants,
while the ISPA grant will be used to co-finance rehabilitation of the
wastewater and sludge treatment plant, and refurbishment and extension of the
sewer network, pumping stations, technical assistance in institutional
strengthening to develop tender documents, procurement and site supervision.
This project presents significant environmental opportunities regarding
improving the quality of effluent and sludge management thus reducing the
threat to public health and pollution of water resources. The environmental
investigations were carried out within the framework of the EU-ISPA facility.
The project will enable Romania to comply with this EU Directive (EU Council
Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning Urban Wastewater Treatment) and
to contribute to the fulfilment of the Romanian obligations under:
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Szeged Agreement concerning the protection of the River Tisza and its
tributaries against pollution, 1986;
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Helsinki Convention concerning the protection and use of cross-border water
courses and international lakes, 1992;
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Sofia Co-operation Agreement concerning the protection of River Danube, 1994;
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Bucharest Convention on Black Sea Strategic Action Plan, 1996.
Based on the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment, environmental
impacts of this project are assessed to be temporary and will be mitigated
with the application of good management practices. Once the project is
completed and operational, it will improve effluent and sludge treatment of
the City of Oradea, and it will enable Romania to comply with the relevant EU
Directives.
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