France provides Ukraine with a $64 million loan to upgrade water supply system in Mariupol
On Tuesday, Ukraine signed a contract with France for a line of credit to complete the project of providing water in Mariupol.
The loan in the amount of 64 million euros is allocated for 30 years with a 10-year grace period. The Ukrainian government’s press service indicated that the rate would be 0.08% per annum.
The water that is supplied to apartments in Mariupol comes from the Northern Donetsk river, which crosses the line of demarcation several times. Due to the conflict in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the area’s infrastructure is not in the best condition. Mariupol is located at the very end of the water supply chain; therefore, water of a poor-quality flows into the city.
In 2017, the 0629.com.ua news outlet ordered a study that showed that water from taps in Mariupol is not suitable for drinking. Water hardness was 2-4 times higher than minimum norms, the sulfate content was also four times higher, and dry residue was twice the norm.
The government plans to build new filtering stations and water intakes for Mariupol. There are plans to update outdated water networks and introduce new forms of water management. The total cost of the project is approximately 100 million euros. In addition to the French loan, it is planned to seek funds from other sources.
The contract was signed by Vadym Chernysh, the Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine and Ambassador Isabel Dumont of France.