ASTANA – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is contributing $13.5 million for water supply improvements in Shymkent. The loan will help the city upgrade its water supply network, which is used by more than 800,000 residents.
The privately owned Kazakh Vodnye Resursy Marketing is responsible for the water supply of more than 800,000 inhabitants of Shymkent and will use the loan to upgrade wastewater networks and facilities. The EBRD is providing a 13-year loan of up to $13.5 million to the utility in the bank’s eighth project under its Water and Wastewater Modernisation Framework for Kazakhstan.
The bank will be supporting the rehabilitation of 46.0 kilometres of water supply network and 13.7 kilometres of wastewater sewers; the expansion of water intake facilities up to 5.5 million cubic metres; the construction of 5.5 kilometres of new wastewater networks and additional facilities, including sludge tanks; and the reduction of water loss by 450,000 cubic metres per year. The EBRD’s programme also includes the increase of treated wastewater by 380,000 cubic metres per year and the procurement of specialised equipment and vehicles.
Shymkent is the country’s fourth largest municipality and the centre of the South Kazakhstan region. The investment will improve the quality of the city’s water service, which is especially important because of the area’s rapid growth. Its population is expected to increase to 1.4 million people from the current 0.8 million by 2030.
