Discussions underway with Veolia Jur regarding changing water supply schedule for period from May 1 to September 15

ArmInfo. Discussions are underway with the company "Veolia Jur" regarding changing the water supply schedule for the period from May 1 to September 15. This was announced by Aramazd Kalantaryan, Chairman of the RA Water Committee, at the plenary session of the National Assembly of the Republic of  Armenia on March 3.

Earlier, the company presented a schedule according to which water  supply to consumers in Yerevan and the regions would be limited to 17  hours during the specified period. Following this, RA Minister of  Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan issued  a statement announcing the company's continued provision of services  at the same level.

In this regard, Aramazd Kalantaryan emphasized that the committee and  "Veolia Jur" have requested two weeks to resolve the issue.

A preliminary analysis shows that the system has potential for  improving the drinking water supply schedule. The basis for this  analysis is to give new impetus to the continuation of the major  capital investment program. Another reason could be the discovery of  new water sources, which were underway prior to the major capital  investment program. A decision has been made to attract additional  financial resources to channel water from these sources to consumers.

Kalantaryan emphasized that water supply outages will occur, but they  will not exceed 3-4 hours, compared to 6-7 hours in some areas of  Yerevan. These outages will occur at night, which is necessary to  fill the reservoirs. The head of the Water Committee also reported  that water losses in the system currently amount to approximately  45%-50%. Veolia Djur achieved this figure in accordance with its  commitments to reduce losses, which previously stood at 80%. The RA  government and the company have invested 22 billion drams over the  past two years to address this issue.

On March 3, Aramazd Kalantaryan presented a draft agreement with the  World Bank in parliament, according to which Armenia will receive a  EUR 70.4 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction  and Development for the implementation of the "Water Supply and  Irrigation Systems Improvement. Phase 1" program. According to the  Chairman of the RA Water Committee, the agreement is valid for 180  days from the date of its signing, and the project is valid for five  years from the date of its entry into force. The effective date of  the Co-financing Agreement is March 31, 2026. The project consists of  the following main components: water sector reform and institutional  strengthening of climate-resilient irrigation and water supply  systems in rural areas, improvement of rural water supply and  sanitation, modernization of irrigation infrastructure and system  management, and project management. The project is also expected to  receive co-financing from the French Development Agency (Agence  Francaise de Developpement) for approximately the same amount of EUR  70 million. Given the multifaceted and interconnected nature of the  challenges facing Armenia's water sector, including deteriorating  irrigation infrastructure, limited access to safe water for rural  populations, and growing risks associated with climate change, the  proposed project aims to apply an integrated, multi-phase approach to  ensure sustainable development and effective management of the  sector. The project is a logical continuation of previous World  Bank-financed initiatives and will ensure the implementation of  necessary policy, institutional, and infrastructure reforms. The  project is expected to result in the introduction of  climate-resilient irrigation and water supply systems that will  contribute to economic growth, food security, and balanced regional  development.

The first five-year, ?180 million phase of the program will be  implemented by the Water Committee of the RA Ministry of Territorial  Administration and Infrastructure in settlements in the Ararat,  Armavir, Kotayk, Aragatsotn, Shirak, and Tavush regions.

The initiative aims to modernize infrastructure and strengthen  institutions regulating the water sector, in line with Armenia's  commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve adaptation  to extreme weather events. According to the source, approximately  650,000 people in 579 rural settlements in Armenia remain without  access to centralized water services because they live in areas not  covered by lease agreements for water supply. The project will also  contribute to improving the governance structure of water user  associations, including by engaging women. The second phase will  allocate approximately ?250 million to continue the same program.

As a reminder, since 1992, the World Bank has provided the country  with approximately $3 billion, including investment loans, grants,  analytical support, and technical assistance. The current portfolio  of the IBRD, trust funds, and the International Development  Association (IDA, a World Bank entity) amounts to approximately $400  million. Since 2023, Armenia has also become an IDA donor country.