The European Union announced that it will implement a number of water sector projects in Egypt that will benefit the Ministry of Housing and the Holding Company for Water and Waste Water, during a workshop Wednesday at the EU Delegation to Egypt offices. The first project, titled the Improved Water and Waste Water Services Programme, is comprised of two phases that aim to improve and expand existing water and wastewater treatment plants. The EU contributed €57m to the project, which is projected to cost €598m. The first phase is expected to provide water to 533,000 people and improve water services to three million people living in Gharbeya, Sharqeya, Damietta and Beheira Governorates. The second phase, finalised in December , will cover four more governorates in Upper Egypt to include: Qena, Sohag, Assiut and Minya. It aims to provide water to one million people and improve water services for four million people. The EU plans to implement other projects to "improve the capacity" of the Holding Company for Water and Waste Water, which aims to develop sustainable high water and waste water services to support the country's economic and environmental development, according to the EU presentation. The EU also plans to implement a project that supports the "institutional capacity building" of the Egyptian Water and Waste Water Regulatory Agency by establishing an improved regulatory system and management resource processes. The regulatory functions that will be implemented include: drinking water quality reporting and auditing, customer services, water company performance measures, and licensing. The EU have committed to joint programming in Egypt with the view to more effectively support Egypt to cope with new and ongoing social, economic, and political challenges.
