EBRD provides loan to upgrade wastewater infrastructure in Croatia

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a loan of €10m ($13.2m) to co-finance the upgrade of wastewater infrastructure in Šibenik, Croatia.

The town of Šibenik, in central Dalmatia and on the Adriatic coast, has become a major tourist spot and is in need to provide better water and sewage services, both for the residents and visitors.

EBRD will give financial assistance to Šibenik’s municipal water and wastewater company Vodovod i odvodnja d.o.o, and support its efforts to operate municipal wastewater infrastructures in the town and in the surrounding areas.

The company will use the loan to upgrade the wastewater infrastructure and expand its sewage services and improve water supply system as per the European Union and Croatia’s standards.

EBRD Croatia and Hungary director Zsuzsanna Hargitai said, "The EBRD-supported upgrade of the wastewater network will contribute to a better quality of life for Šibenik residents and will help realise the city’s industrial and tourism potential."

Šibenik Mayor Ante Starcevic said, "The construction of wastewater collector in the eastern part of the city will raise the standards of civilisation and will make the quality of life of our fellow citizens better."

The modernised wastewater infrastructure is also expected to contribute significantly in the development of business districts of Ražine-TLM and Podi.

It will allow discharging of the treated wastewater in a controlled manner, which is a vital step in creating a benchmark for environmental standards on the Adriatic coast.

Vodovod, the operator of the municipal water and wastewater services, is also expected to receive grants from the governments of Czechoslovakia and Austria, to further improve its services and performance.

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Image: A wastewater treatment plant in Croatia. Photo: Courtesy of Joadl.