Over 170,000 inhabitants from Straseni and Călăraşi districts will have access to quality drinking water, following the construction of Chisinau-Straseni-Calarasi aqueduct.

To implement the project, the German government has earmarked 15 million euros - grant. To begin the construction of the aqueduct, a agreement on cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, Apele Moldovei agency, Straseni and Calarasi district councils, mayoralties of Straseni and Calarasi, Regional Development Agency Centru and Apa Canal Chisinau.

The project aims at construction of 53 km of aqueduct, which in the first stage will provide 30 thousand inhabitants of Straseni and Călăraşi with quality drinking water. In the second stage, other localities from the two districts will be connected, so that all 170,000 inhabitants of Straseni and Calarasi districts will have access to drinking water. "There is no country in the world that has developed and lives well, with no infrastructure developed. I am talking about access to water, sewage networks, roads and street lighting, " Prime Minister Pavel Filip said.

The premier thanked the German partners for support, and noted that the infrastructure and water supply systems are a priority for the government. Over the last 3 years, 240,000 people have been connected to drinking water. At the same time, access to water and sanitation services is also laid down in Moldova 2030 Strategy, whereby the government is committed that by 2030, 99% of the population have access to quality water and 90% to sewerage networks.

"We had a personal ambition to have a master plan at country level, including drinking water supplies. Soon the document will be completed, which will provide us with more efficient investments in this important area. When we know very clearly what we want and we will have these business plans worked out, then funding will not be a problem,” Pavel Filip said.

Construction of Chisinau-Straseni-Calarasi aqueduct is expected to begin in late 2020.