Veleshta Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant and Sewerage Network
EBRD is reviewing financing for a new wastewater treatment plant and expanded sewerage network serving the fictional town of Veleshta. The project aims to stop untreated sewage discharging into the local river and connect around 18,000 residents to proper sanitation. This consultation seeks community views on tariffs, construction disruption, and how the treated water and sludge will be managed.
The proposed project comprises a new mechanical-biological wastewater treatment plant (capacity ~22,000 population equivalent), ~35 km of new and rehabilitated sewerage mains, and decommissioning of direct discharge points along the fictional Veleshka River. The project will connect ~18,000 residents and is expected to require tariff adjustments for operational cost recovery. Category B under EBRD's Environmental and Social Policy. Disclosure includes an ESIA, a tariff affordability assessment, and a SEP, with a 30-day public comment period. Key issues: affordability for low-income households, sludge disposal, treated-effluent discharge quality, and connection of informal/peripheral settlements.
Project Documents
Location
Town of Veleshta, Polog region (fictional)
MK
Map PlaceholderCommunity submissions (public)
A treatment plant produces sludge. Where will it go? We are concerned it could end up dumped near farmland or create odor problems for the houses closest to the plant site. Please explain the sludge disposal method and the distance from the nearest homes.
Laying 35 km of pipes means digging up streets across the whole town. Last time the road was opened for utility work it stayed broken for a year. How long will streets be closed, and who do we contact when access to our homes and shops is blocked?
For years we have watched the river degrade from raw sewage. We strongly welcome this project. Our request is transparency: please publish the treated-effluent quality standards the plant must meet, and commit to regular public reporting of discharge monitoring so the community can see the river actually recovering.
Thank you for your support and for the call for transparency. The treatment plant will be designed to meet national and EU-aligned effluent discharge standards. The project's Sludge Management and Discharge Compliance Plan provides for regular monitoring, and we will recommend that discharge monitoring results be published periodically by the utility so the community can track river water quality improvements.
We all want a clean river, but many families here live on pensions or seasonal work. If the water bill doubles to pay for the plant, some households simply cannot afford it. Is there a plan to protect low-income families, such as a reduced social tariff?
Affordability is a central consideration. The project includes a tariff and affordability assessment, and the municipality is committed to introducing a social tariff mechanism for low-income and vulnerable households, so that no household pays more than an agreed share of income for water and wastewater services. Details will be set out in the final project agreements and disclosed publicly.