Lezha is the next station where the “Performance-Based Water Sector Program / Municipal Infrastructure V” WPIP/MIP V is under implementation. This program envisages investing an amount of 16 million euros in the Municipality of Lezha where, in addition to improving the supply of potable and safe water, a special attention has been paid to the treatment of waste water as well as the re-design of the water network to protect the city from floods.
In the ground breaking ceremony take part Deputy Prime Minister, at the same time Minister for Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku, the Ambassador of the European Delegation in Tirana, Silvio Gonzato, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karl Bergner, the ambassador of Switzerland Ruth Huber, the Mayor of Lezhë, Pjerin Ndreju, the General Director of AKUK Klevis Jahaj, the Minister of Justice, Ulsi Manja, the Director of UKR Lezhë, Zef Maçi as well as other representatives of UKR Lezhë.
During her speech, Ms. Balluku paid special attention to the WPIP/MIP V program, saying that this investment, thanks to the partnership with the EU, KfW and SECO, will improve the drinking water supply system and will also guarantee the increase in the performance of the UKR-s. “The goal of the project is to improve the water supply situation, as well as to increase the performance of the regional Water-Sewage company in Lezhë. We must bear in mind that only two years ago we started a deep reform process regarding all water supply and sewerage companies which were until a few years ago allocated to the municipalities, but in the meantime due to the deep reform that we have undertaken, regional units, regional enterprises have already been created, which from all the indicators we had during 2023 and will have during 2024 undoubtedly show that we have a good administration of these regional enterprises, reducing the number of employees and costs which are created due to operations and on the other hand increasing and optimizing finances. And undoubtedly all this is reflected in the provision of a better quality service” declared Mrs. Balluk.
The European Union intends that through this investment, Albanian citizens will be even closer to those of the EU in terms of the standard of drinking water supply and wastewater treatment. “Our goal is not only to help Albania to be equipped with all the right equipment to have a proper water management system, but to transform Albania into a green circular society. Above all, our support is in fact a clear and tangible indicator of the commitment of the EU to improve the quality of life of Albanian citizens, so that it is as close as possible to EU standards. The future of Albania and its citizens will be only in the European Union” underlined the head of the EU delegation.
Karl Bergner, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, paid special attention to the environmental impact of this project, which also responds to the challenges of climate change. “In addition, this project also addresses other challenges such as protecting the environment and responding to climate change, especially flooding. Strengthening these aqueducts will ensure that the water stays clean and safe, guaranteeing a safe ecosystem for all. In the face of climate change, the network of storm water discharges is essential to mitigate flooding and flood risk in low-lying areas. And this project aims to guarantee not only current needs, but also future needs”, said Mr. Bergner.
Investments from this program will be based on the performance of the Regional Water and Sewerage Companies and Lezha in particular is for the Swiss ambassador a success story in water management. “Today we join forces in an investment that will improve the water infrastructure of Lezha and this is a pleasure especially because Lezha is also a case of the proper functioning of the water supply. We know this through a long and fruitful partnership in the water sector. As the investment begins today, it is worth reminding ourselves that infrastructure and institutional strengthening go hand in hand and the increase in performance, together with this investment, will go together in this aspect. The reform in the water sector has shown good results and this project aims to consolidate the livelihood, finances, operational performance of new enterprises”, said Mrs. Huber.
About 20,000 citizens of Lezhë will benefit from this investment, which foresees:
- About 3.0 km of the existing transmission line will be replaced in Shengjin and new distribution networks will be built in Kodra Marlekaj (12 km new network) and Kakariq & Gocaj villages (16 km new network). The investment will also include the rehabilitation of existing wells and reservoirs as well as the construction of several new wells and reservoirs.
- In addition to drinking water supply, the investment envisages the rehabilitation and improvement of the wastewater treatment plant to meet EU standards, including a new pumping station and the implementation of the SCADA automatic control system.
- Lezha, as one of the areas with the highest level of rainfall, has had problems in flood prevention, and to solve this impasse, a complete redesign of the stormwater protection system is foreseen to avoid discharges from the slopes of hills towards the city and to separate sewage from rainwater in the network.
In total, for the 6 Regional Water and Sewerage Companies, the WPIP/MIP V program foresees an investment worth 125.6 million euros in Shkodër, Lezhë, Elbasan, Fier, Berat and Vlora, and about 470 thousand citizens will benefit from this investment.
