The sewer system of Arad financed by the World Bank is 80% complete

The project "The rehabilitation of the urban areas with severe deficiencies of the sewer systems of the city of Arad - including the modernization of the pertaining road system", which the mayoralty implemented using funds provided by the World Bank in the neighborhoods of Gai, Bujac and Sânicolaul Mic, is almost 80% complete.

According to information from the mayoralty of the city of Arad, the project encountered no major delays and shortly after its initiation, the residents of the three neighborhoods will be able to connect to the new sewer system. "The new sewer grid in the neighborhood of Gai, will be introduced in the month of June. Concerning the neighborhood of Bujac, we have a slight delay and we hope the works will be done by the end of autumn, while in Sânicolaul Mic the works are already completed, but the beneficiary has not yet taken delivery. At the current stage, it can be said that 80% of the project is ready, when it comes to the sewer grid. What remains to be done is the asphalting of the unpaved trails and we hope the project will be completed in 2011, according to the terms of the contract", said Răzvan Popa, executive manager of the Mayoralty of Arad.

He also added that construction has begun on the first pumping station of the neighborhood of Gai, which is intended to collect rainwater, and which, together with the other eight pumping stations, will be taken over and managed by the Water Company of Arad.

• No similar project has been done in Arad in the last 25 years

The mayor of Arad, Gheorghe Falcă, said that this project has a high complexity level, and nothing similar has been done in Arad in the last 25 years. He said that apart from the construction of the sewer grid, the project also provides the asphalting of unpaved roads and sidewalks of the three neighborhoods, with part of these works already completed. "After the completion of the project, 25,000 individuals will have access to the sewer grid and wastewater treatment, up to 84 km of roads will be rehabilitated and an area of 81 square km will be protected against floods", mayor Gheorghe Falcă said.

The project "Urban services in the city of Arad - Rehabilitation of areas with major deficiencies in the sewer system" is worth 73.10 million Euros (of which 47.2 million Euros financed by the World Bank and the Romanian government through the Ministry of Finance and 25.90 million Euros co-financed by the Mayoralty of Arad).

The city of Arad has received a loan of 47.2 million Euros, with a maturity of 17 years and a 5 years grace period. The loan was issued under the standard terms of the IBRD: LIBOR for 6-month deposits in Euros, initial fee of up to 1% (currently 0.25%), commitment fee of up to 0.75% (currently 0.25%).

The contractor for the project is the consortium: "Confort - Betonut - ICIM - AMARAD".