Innovative Water Enterprise Open to Partnerships

Thanks to millions of euros in financial support from the EU and the EBRD over the past 20 years, Romania has significantly modernised and upgraded its water infrastructure. Compania de Apa Buzau, based in Buzau Municipality, is an example of a Romanian water company which has used EU, EIB and EBRD funds efficiently to provide high-quality services for its customers.

Director General Ionel Tescaru points out, “Compania de Apa Buzau absorbed all the funds that were allocated to us in the first operational programme, the Operational Sectorial Programme ‘Environment’. This year, again through the OSP ‘Environment’ programme, Compania de Apa Buzau accessed an additional €20 million in funding to be invested by the end of 2015 in projects that were initially designed to be funded through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (LIOP). Compania de Apa Buzau’s priority will continue to be to absorb new funds. Through the LIOP, we intend to access €160 million in the first phase, up to the end of 2018, in order to receive funding in the next financing phase up to 2020.”

EU-standard municipal water-supply and sewerage-water treatment systems

Compania de Apa Buzau is playing an important role in drawing local and international investment to Buzau, where companies can count on efficient and reliable water services. Explaining Compania de Apa Buzau’s success story, Ionel Tescaru says, “We cover 99% of Buzau Municipality. We are a young company but we are very advanced in absorbing funds and organising projects which meet EU criteria. We have an efficient team which proved its professionalism even during the pre-accession period, when the team successfully managed a grant of €36 million through the Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession Programme.” Compania de Apa Buzau is committed to demonstrating that Romanian water systems (supply, sewerage and treatment) can be managed properly.

Ionel Tescaru has a unique approach to Compania de Apa Buzau’s future growth. He says, “Our idea of development is not to grab new townships to add to our network, but rather to partner with other water companies, like RAJA Constanta, to work together to promote sustainable development at the regional level. Only in such a way can we play a leading role in the market for water-supply and sewerage-water-treatment services in Romania and eventually in Europe as well.”

Compania de Apa Buzau has positioned itself as a desirable partner thanks to its proven ability to absorb EU funds efficiently and to use cofinancing from international financial institutions effectively. Ionel Tescaru emphasises that the development of Compania de Apa Buzau up to its current level would not have been possible without EU funds. He says, “In only 10 years we achieved what it would have taken us 20 years to do if we had not had access to European financing. Compania de Apa Buzau will continue to develop and grow sustainably and help demonstrate that Romania is truly part of the EU.”