2005 - 2006 - Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2012

LITHUANIA PART 2: COUNTRY ANALYSIS
1997 2002
Untreated 17% 2%
Primary 15% 18%
Secondary 67% 61%
Tertiary 1% 19%
With the reduction of pollution loads as a consequence of the taxation regime and upgrades to some
sewage treatment facilities, water quality in rivers and lakes has somewhat improved.
River water quality (1995) %
Good 43%
Fair-Poor 48%
Bad 9%
With the exception of the Urban wastewater Treatment directive (to be met by 2010), Lithuania
believes that it has complied with the applicable EU water related directives as part of its accession
programme. Tertiary waste water treatment plants will be built in forty-seven Lithuanian cities and
towns, on top of the tertiary treatment plants already serving eighteen cities and towns. On
completion, 209million m 3 per annum, or about 83% of wastewater generated will be treated to
secondary or tertiary standard, as appropriate. A total of US$250 million has been spent on
wastewater treatment projects between 1992 and 2002.
Tertiary treatment is being used in current construction and upgrading projects with a total capacity of
about 110million m 3 per year, or 53% of effluent generation. Funding constraints are severe, and it is
currently uncertain how all of these projects will be completed.
Freshwater
Annual availability (1998) 15.56km 3
Per capita 4,174m 3
Annual withdrawal (1993) 0.25km 3
Domestic (1993) 81%
Industrial (1993) 16%
Agriculture (1993) 3%
Water resources
Approximately, 87% of Lithuania's water resources have levels of iron and manganese that exceed
permissible rates. This iron is purified from 28% of the supplied water, but the percentage is expected
to increase with the building of new purification stations in Vilnius, Kedainiai, Anyksciai, and the
Pagiriai water fields. Some Litai315 million (US$80 million) is needed for the construction of water
purification facilities in Lithuania.
Groundwater
Annual availability (1998) 1.20km 3
Per capita 332m
Privatisation prospects
In 1995, the EBRD provided €11 million out of a loan package of €67 million for the construction of a
water treatment plant at Kaunas, serving Vilnius. The plant provides water for 700,000 people and
was constructed by Degrémont (Suez). The water provision services for Vilnius are under
consideration for developing a concession contract. The World Bank’s Public-Private Infrastructure
Advisory Facility has been providing technical assistance for PSP development, and its
recommendations were submitted to the Government at the end of 2004.
Source:
Ministry of Environment (2002) State of Environment 2001, MoE, Vilnius, Lithuania
138 Pinsent Masons Water Yearbook 2005 – 2006