Ensuring access to safe drinking water: EUR 10.5 million in EU funding for improving water supply in the Brkini area

Ljubljana, 14 July 2021 – Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Primary feeders Ilirska Bistrica-Rodik – Agreement on the development of the region. The EUR 23 million water project will be implemented jointly by municipalities Ilirska Bistrica, Hrpelje-Kozina and Divača under the Agreement on the development of the Primorsko-Notranjska region and supported by the EU, with the contribution from the Cohesion Fund standing at EUR 10.5 million.

The said municipalities joined forces to improve the water supply system in the area of Brkini. Additional residents will be connected to the public supply system once the project is completed. Additional improvements made to the system will make the supply with drinking water more reliable, safer and better. Additional 272 residents will be connected to the public system and 10,602 residents will be served by a quality water distribution system.

As part of the project, primary feeders will be laid between the Ilirska Bistrica waterworks and the Rodik service reservoir, a drinking water treatment facility will be constructed in Ilirska Bistrica, secondary feeders will be laid on sections Tatre-Kozjane and Veliko Brdo-Jelšane, Artviže-Vareje, Vareje-Vatovlje and Vareje-Podgrad, and primary feeders on sections Zemonska Vaga and Dolnji Zemon.

The project is scheduled to kick off this November and should be completed by December 2022.