EU funds for the second set of the project for drinking water supply in the Drava river basin
Ljubljana, 26 April 2012 – Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, as the Managing Authority for the EU structural fund and the Cohesion Fund, issued a decision granting EU funds for the second set of the project for drinking water supply in the Drave river basin, namely for the area of Ormož. The project, which is worth 12.1 million Euros, will not only improve water supply to almost 16,000 inhabitants of Ormož, Sveti Tomaž and Središče of Dravi but also the quality of drinking water and groundwater. The project is part of the Operational Programme of Environmental and Transport Infrastructure Development for the period 2007–2013. It is co-financed by the Cohesion Fund in the amount of 7.5 million Euros.
The water system in the area of three municipalities – Ormož, Sveti Tomaž and Središe ob Dravi – will be constructed in the framework of the project which is foreseen to be completed in November 2015. The water system altogether facilitates 15,834 inhabitants. Due to the inadequate capacities of the water system, the water pressure is too low while in the summer months the charging from the water source is often insufficient. These problems will be eliminated with the hydraulic improvements of the system. Also, 71 inhabitants will be newly connected to the water supply.
The pumping station will be constructed or renewed as well 42 kilometres of pipelines will be constructed. The project also foresees the construction of four water reservoirs and pumping stations, two hydro-stations, one retention pool for drinking water and the upgrade of the waste water treatment plant. This will improve the water supply to inhabitants as well as the quality of drinking water and groundwater.
In the Drava river basin the realisation of the projects of drinking water supply is foreseen in several sets. Each set represents one complete unit. The sets are spatially not connected. 12 municipalities (Lenart, Sveta Trojica, Sveti Jurij v Slovenskih goricah, Maribor, Duplek, Pesnica, Kungota, Šentilj, Sveta Ana, Benedikt, Cerkvenjak and Gornja Radgona) cooperated in the realisation of the first set, which is already being implemented and for which the decision on co-financing by the EU funds (Cohesion Fund) has already been issued in June 2010. The third set, which is not yet being realised, will regulate drinking water supply in Dravograd, Muta, Radlje ob Dravi, Podvelka and Vuzenica.
Funds of the Operational Programme of Environmental and Transport Infrastructure Development, which is worth 1.57 billion Euros, are primarily intended for the modernisation or new infrastructural constructions in the area of environment and transport, and, to a lesser extent, also for sustainable energy projects.
